The Dead Letter Box

This is one of those rare books that not only engage seven to tens on the level of 'what happens next?', but holds within it some of the powerful ideas most of them are beginning to think about. The surface plot is simple (seeming). Louie's indifferent friend, Glenda, leaves the school and they promise to write. Louie, the bookish, isolated girl, writes; Glenda, the popular social one, doesn't. You don't have to believe this, but the group of second year juniors I read this to involved themselves with the themes of this book for days ... What does writing enable us to do? What's a true friend: All this, much more, Jan Mark's feeling for children's lives, lore and language --- plus a character called Wayne who won't take his snorkel jacket off in class, make it one of the best so far this year.