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A pre-teen story of life in a Catholic school in the 1960s, this book focuses on Monty and her three friends and family. She is in the sixth grade and struggling after the death of her mother. She finds herself floating about the rest of the world and watching what is going on. She learns that some of the saints levitated but doesn’t understand this and what is happening to her.
Monty has three friends, Sandra, Danny, and Leon, and they work together to do a talent show. Throughout the book, they are often in trouble for their hijinks but enjoy their friendship and pull off an incredible talent show, which gets them into trouble. Monty is trying to focus on grace but still seems to come up short and misses having her mother to talk to about important things. During their time together, Sandra gets sicker with a form of arthritis and has to move away. The bells in the church have significant meaning to Monty, and the book ends with a heart-rending story about bells and friendship, love, and her mother.
The author’s book tells several lessons about love, life, family, and friendship. It teaches about death and the support of family members, the longing for a deceased mother, memories, and loss. It also does a nice job of examining friendship and the value of friends and having fun, even if such fun leads to consequences that may be unintentional, especially if given out by someone who doesn’t have your best interest at heart. The story is well-written and interesting, although the floating aspect may be somewhat confusing for younger children. In summary, this book does a nice job of touching on grief and how one gets through such loss.