An American classic novel, a young Jewish girl growing up in a suffocatingly small Southern town, in the very buckle of the Bible Belt, torn by discrimination risks all for a German prisoner of war.

"This is an exceptionally fine novel . . . Armed with earned moral insight, Mrs. Greene sneaks past our conditioned reflexes satisfyingly often." -The New York Times

"Courageous and compelling!" -Publisher Weekly

"Moving novel, unforgettable because of the genuine emotion it evokes." -Horn Book

Branded a "Jew Nazi-lover" kicked out of school and sent to reformatory, Patty Bergen disowns her family, flees to Paris, France then Germany illuminating her unprecedented past.

"A very worthwhile book, with wider scope than the modesty of its design might indicate. Young romance . . What makes it transcend the standard romantic intrigue is . . . how these people relate to one another and then grow from common experience." -The New York Times

"Bette Greene has left an indelible mark on twentieth-century young adult literature... Hers is a strong voice that comes from the heart and dares to question." - St. James Guide to Young Adult Writers

A Newbury Honor Award novel, Beth Lambert, an eleven-year-old African-American, and all-around celebrity in Pocahontas, Arkansas is thunderstruck! Philip Hall, a farm boy vies with Beth for top place in their class through adventures of rivalry and reconciliation.

"This wise and original novel makes us cry as we laugh, even at its beautifully resolved happy ending" - New York Times Book Review

"A book to promote in all schools, a valuable addition to an important body of books where black characters are in the center of the stage and race is not an issue." - School Librarian of the School Library Association

Beth Lambert's fast action is funny, making her an inconveniently exceptional human being.

"Readers will not doubt for a moment that Beth will find a way out of her pickle, but her struggle will elicit chuckles as well as sympathetic moans. Few writers can do comedy with Greene's panache." - Publishers Weekly

"Bette Greene transports us to an ordinary place where ordinary people live ordinary lives - and every bit of it is fascinating." - The Sun (Baltimore)

Beth Lambert, smiling at fear when a stunning loss sends her reeling. She'll have to show the town who's number one, once and for all in this last episodic novel.

"The irrepressible Beth is as likeable as before, and just a bit wiser for the experience." - Kirkus Reviews

"The amusing plots and fast action draw even reluctant readers" - Publishers Weekly

"Bette Greene transports us to an ordinary place where ordinary people live ordinary lives - and every bit of it is fascinating." - The Sun (Baltimore)

Based on true events, The Drowning of Stephan Jones may be the counterpoint to -To Kill a Mocking Bird. - Christopher Street

"Greene has endowed the tale with such pace, texture and poetic implication that she has elevated it to a high level of narrative art." - Samuel C. Florman , The New York Times Book Review

"Readers will be affected by the book's dramatic and graphic portrayal of persecution. The final chapters, in particular, will force young adults to examine their values and rethink the meaning of democracy." - Publishers Weekly

"Full of the author´s genuine love, delight and celebration of the human condition. She has never used his talent so well."

-Verlyn Klinkenborg The New York Times Book Review