IDENTIFYING #: ISBN 0531068986
CLASSIFICATION: FICTION
GENRE: REALISTIC FICTION
CALL #: FIC JOHNSON
RECOMMENDED AGE/INTEREST LEVEL: YOUNG ADULT
RATING: 5
Annotation: 14 year-old Sophy worries she will become Schizophrenic like her older sister.
Summary: Sophy's older sister Nicole started hearing voices, "humming whispers", when she was 14. Sophy fears she will end up just like Nicole, who goes in and out of mental hospitals, trying to overcome her mental illness. This story is rich in supporting characters, like Miss Onyx, and old woman who was a dancer like Sophy, before she was put in a concentration camp as a young woman. Together as a family, Sophy, Nicole and their Aunt Shirley (who has raised their girls ever since their parents were killed in a car crash), survive and overcome the difficulties of their lives.
Notes: Angela Johnson writes another winner! Mental illness is an issue that affects many families. Despite it's frequency, people rarely discuss this difficult issue. Humming Whispers presents the fears and challenges families go through when a family member becomes ill.
