Sally Nemeth's The Heights, the Depths, and Everything In Between is one of those books that sneak up on you. On the surface of things, it's a quiet tale of two friends--a boy and a girl--and their entry into Junior High. But, as we know, the surface of things is always deceptive. Especially when you're in Junior high.
Lucy Small thinks she's a "freak." She's 5'10'' at age 13 and her best friend, Jake Little, is much shorter than she is. Actually, he's a dwarf. Small and Little cause quite a stir in the school hallways. Moreover, both Lucy and Jake are having problems at home this year. Jake's mom is dating again, and Lucy's father sets off in attempt to find himself, leaving Lucy and her mom at home.
The Heights, the Depths, and Everything In Between is the story of a friendship and of learning to truly see yourself as you are. Over the course of the novel, both Lucy and Jake, with the help of new friends (including the thuggish, but sweet Gary Geary), understand that they are not freaks and that the world is not a simple place. Mom and Dad don't always end up together. The tough kid with a reading problem may not actually be mean and stupid. Just because the nearby Amish community has many dwarves, it doesn't mean you belong there. And, sometimes the popular kids can be kind.
The Heights, the Depths, and Everything In Between is a simple story exceptionally told.
