Izzy, Willy-Nilly

When Izzy Lingard loses the lower part of her right leg in an auto accident, she is forced to look at her life from a radically different perspective. Newbery winner Voigt shows unusual insight into the workings of a 15-year-old girl's mind. Izzy faces the shock of loss, her friends' inability to cope with that loss, a bungling but bright classmate whose directness helps Izzy face reality, and a supportive, loving family who make her homecoming bearable. Just as Voigt's perceptive empathy brings Izzy to life, other characterizations are memorable, whether of Izzy's shallow former friends or of her egocentric 10-year-old sister. In this refreshing change from her Crisfield novels, Voigt provides not only a highly satisfying read, but one of the notable books of the season. (12-up)