Crazy Lady [Unabridged] [Audio Cassette]

Jane Leslie Conly (Author), Ed Begley Jr. (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 1999 | Age Level: 9 and up

Maxine, short and stocky, with her dark glasses and strange hat and weaving walk, was called the "crazy lady." Ronald, with his eyes open wide and his mouth always parted as if he were about to speak, was her son with special needs. Vernon and his friends would agitate them until they put on a kind of show.

But then Vernon gets to know them and see what their life is really like. He spends an afternoon helping them straighten out their ramshackle house, picking up their littered yard; and sits with Ronald while he watches Lassie and Mickey Mouse Club. And he begins to understand this mother's fierce love for her son, his own loss, and the unexpected strength he finds within this odd little family.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-8-Leslie Jane Conly's Newbery Honor winner is a heart-warming tale of how one boy's view of the world is changed.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Grade 5-9-Crazy Lady by Jane Conly (HarperCollins, 1993) is a gem of a story about outsiders, loss, friendship and growth. It deserves the thoughtful and perceptive performance that Ed Begley, Jr. gives as he narrates the story of Vernon, Maxine, Ronald and their neighborhood. Begley's voice has just the right amount of wonder, insecurity, and pathos as he shares Vernon's observations, self-accusations, and occasional outrage. He changes his voice only slightly to portray the weary wisdom of Vernon's father, and the almost hysterical anxiety of Maxine when she is on a "binge," but he clearly differentiates between characters and enhances Conly's characterizations. The only jarring note is the music that occasionally appears to emphasize a mood, be it a carnival or an anticipated conflict. Begley's reading is so effective that the music appears more as a distraction than an enhancement. Readers who loved the story will be moved by this version and feel the pain of the characters perhaps even more intensely than before. Those who missed the book should be directed to this audiobook.
Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Washington, DC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Listening Library; Unabridged edition (July 6, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553526146
• ISBN-13: 978-0553526141
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,044,743 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Crazy Lady, April 23, 2002

By 

Kathy Gobert (MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crazy Lady! (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

Vernon Dobbs is a struggling student having a bad school year. He has gone in for help. He just can't seem to get the hang of reading. He has had no one to turn to since his mother passed away from a stroke three years earlier. His mother had an uncanny ability to help those around her. His father tries, but is just too busy taking care of the family.
Vernon and his friends have nothing better to do than torment the eccentric neighborhood Crazy Lady, Maxine and her son Ronald who is mentally disabled. One chance meeting, with Maxine, outside the local grocery store will change many of Vernon's perceptions on life. Maxine introduces Vernon to her friend Mrs. Annie a retired schoolteacher. From Mrs. Annie he will learn that not everything in life is black or white. In exchange for tutoring, Vernon agrees to do odd jobs for Maxine. Vernon learns that Maxine's "craziness" is in reality alcoholism. Maxine's outrageous behaviors are accurately depicted through clothes and language. Vernon goes from the role of tormentor to that of protector as the story progresses. Conley creates a vivid impression of what life is really like in the section of town in which Vernon lives. It comes through in the attitudes of the grocer who tries to cheat people out a few cents on a regular basis, knowing that the people will not complain too much because they charge at his store. She also portrays a community where people band together supporting and helping each other. The book only gives one small glimpse that Vernon's problem may be a hereditary learning disability. The story addresses peer pressure, alcoholism, and people perceptions of other people with disabilities. Vernon finds out that you cannot control or assume responsibility for anyone's actions but your own. He finds out that his father has been there for him all the time and Vernon discovers that triumph and tragedy often go hand in hand.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Crazy Lady, February 8, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Crazy Lady! (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

I did not like certain parts in this book. I don't think Maxine being drunk so much is a good thing. Vernon is nice though. Ronald is also nice. It showed me not to judge people by the way they look before knowing them.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This book was okay., February 8, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Crazy Lady! (Trophy Newbery) (Paperback)

I thought it was okay because the charatcters were just okay. I used to think that all alchoholics were really bad people but now I know that some of them are really nice. Sometimes I think that mentally changlled people are mean but now I know that they are also nice people. Sometimes they can be mean and hateful but now I know that they are nice. I thought that Ronald changed Vernon in some way. So now I really like Vernon better than at the end than at the beginning.So it teaches you to not judge a book by its cover or a person either.