Sonya Sones. Stop Pretending. Harper Tempest, 1999.

Recommended Age Range: 12 and up

Plot Summary: When Cookie's sister has a mental breakdown, she tries to deal with it the best way she knows how.

Evaluation of Reader Appeal: Even though the form is poetry, I think that a lot of kids will read it. The poems are short and deal nicely with the subject of mental illness in the family.

Evaluation of Literary Merit: I like this book. I think that the poems are well written and form a cohesive narrative. The style really works well to convey the emotions of the younger sister who feels abandoned and confused by the sudden changes in her older sister.