Ellen Fitzgerald
Conly, Jane Leslie Crazy Lady. NY: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 1993.
180 pp. | Library | ISBN 9780060213602 | Grades 5- 9
Crazy Lady is the complex story of seventh grader Vernon Dibbs. Vernon’s
mother died the preceding year leaving Vernon’s illiterate father a widower, and Vernon
and his four siblings motherless. When Vernon discovers that if he does not seek the
help of a tutor, he will fail the seventh grade, he feels helpless and filled with despair. He
cannot afford to pay the tutor at his school and the free tutor is in a rough neighborhood.
While Vernon performs an act of kindness for the neighborhood’s “Crazy Lady”, an
alcoholic named Maxine, and her mentally retarded son, he informs them of his problems
with school. To repay him for his help, Maxine arranges for Vernon to receive tutorship
from her friend who is a retired teacher. The tutor, Miss Annie, has Vernon pay her back
by helping out Maxine and her son Donald on a regular basis. As Vernon helps out
Maxine and Donald more, he becomes more attached to them. Throughout the book,
Vernon changes from being a troublemaker to being a responsible and caring individual.
He even puts together a fundraiser so that Donald can have nice clothes and go to the
Special Olympics. Unfortunately, Maxine is unable to change. She continually has
alcoholic outbursts. Vernon learns first hand the pain that is caused by alcoholism when
Maxine yells at him and calls him “stupid” at Donald’s fundraiser. In the end, Maxine
realizes that she is not capable of providing a stable home for Donald, and she decides to
give up custody of her son to an Aunt and Uncle who can better provide for him.
However, the end also yields a positive change in Vernon’s life. In his attempt to help
save Maxine’s family, he ends up saving his own. His father starts paying more attention
to his siblings and to him. His father even asks Vernon to teach him how to read. In the
last lines of the book, after Donald left him, Vernon runs until he falls. While Vernon lay
Ellen Fitzgerald
there, his father comes to him and says, “I’m here.” The reader is left with a feeling that
from here on out, everything would be alright for Vernon.
This book is complex and deals with difficult issues such as: the death of a parent,
alcoholism, adult illiteracy, and bullying. This is a book that would not be suitable for
children under a fifth grade level because the complex issues may be beyond the
understanding of the younger mind. Jane Leslie Conly does an excellent job writing
about difficult issues in a manner that middle school students can understand and relate to.
This story would be appropriate in a school media center or public library. The different
issues, such as social outcasts or bullying, that arise in the story would make the book
ideal for a book discussion group.
According to the American Library Association website, Crazy Lady ranked 9th
on 2005’s list of that year’s most challenged books. The book was challenged for
offensive language. There are words in the book that would be considered offensive. For
example, when Vernon is at the grocery store he says,”You go to hell Milt!” Milt
responds by stating, “Just get the hell out before I call the cops!” To that Vernon then
states, “Call the damn cops!” Maxine also swears during her drunken bouts, and Vernon
says the word damn several more times in the book. I believe that this and the issue of
Maxine’s alcoholism are what make this book so controversial. The swearing flows with
the context of the story and is never used in an overtly vulgar manner that would be
inappropriate for the intended audience. I think that this book is an excellent tool for
both teachers and librarians. I believe that it should be included in the collections at both
middle schools and public libraries.