Kasey & Ivy

Gr 4–6—When 12-year-old Kasey learns she is to stay at a hospital for a month after being diagnosed with a rare bone disease, she is scared, lonely, and the youngest person on the floor. Missing the last few days of school and the first few weeks of summer, Kasey longs for the more relaxed, final days of the school year, and the endearing chaos of her busy home. Writing letters to her best friend, Nina, is her only way of coping with the long, sleepless nights, the listless days, and her germy surroundings. As Kasey and her I.V. bag, whom she affectionately nicknames Ivy, explore the ward, she begins to connect with the nurses and other hospital patients. Hughes has written a realistic fiction novel that will appeal to many. Kasey's wit and liveliness come to life through her letters to Nina, and Kasey's fears, including being alone at night, clowns, and painful I.V. changes, allow readers to empathize along with her. A serious tone tugs down the pages, yet Hughes's story is punctuated with silly and, at times, heartwarming vignettes.