Jane In Bloom

Deborah Lytton's Jane In Bloom is a middle grade novel that deals with loss and love and has Iowa Childrens Choice Book written all over it. There are just some books that as you are reading you can see how wonderful the lessons are that are written into the story, and how important these stories are for kids to read.

Jane has always been in awe of her older sister Lizzie. Lizzie has so much going for her- she is smart and beautiful and the sisters don't seem to base their relationship on sibling rivalry, but really enjoy each other's company. In addition to Lizzie being nearly perfect, she also suffers from an eating disorder. While her parents may be aware of the fact that Lizzie has a problem, things at home seem very rigid - everyone trying their best to adhere to the preconceived ideas they have about what a perfect family is supposed to be like. Lizzie's death from her eating disorder changes the family forever. While everyone in the family has great difficulty moving on, each grieves in their own way.

This book was so touching to me and so full of life lessons about loving and losing someone as well as the different ways everyone handles their own emotions. This is Lytton's first novel; I so enjoyed her voice that I hope there are more to come.

Visit Deborah Lytton's website.