A Begonia for Miss Applebaum

Alternate chapters by teenagers Henry and Zelda tell the story of the last few months in the life of an eccentric science teacher. The gift of a begonia leads to a closer acquaintance, as a result of which the two friends decide that Miss Applebaum should be treated in hospital - a decision they later regret. The lasting impression of Miss Applebaum is of her energy, enthusiasm and enormous general knowledge, but Paul Zindel's larger-than-life characterisation eclipses his two narrators and distances the reader from the events he portrays.