A Piece of Heaven

by Sharon Dennis Wyeth

A young teenager deals with her family's disintegration with the help of a teacher who gives her a summer job working in his garden.

Haley's excited about turning 13, but her teenage years start off with a thud when, shortly after her birthday, her mother checks herself into the hospital for severe depression. Her older brother, Otis, is busy with his job selling clothes, and Haley tries to keep her mind off the family problems with her own job, helping a music teacher clean up his backyard garden. As Haley's family life becomes more and more unstable, it's her work and her growing friendship with her employer that sustain her. When Otis gets arrested for selling stolen goods and a social worker takes Haley into a group home, it's her employer she turns to to help her pick up the pieces.

Genres: Young Adult

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 9, 2001

Reviews

[Emily Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book over and over and over again in the first 6 months to a year after my sister died at age 9, and just read it again last night 15 years later. Is it perfect? No. But Haley is such a convincing, lovable character and her relationship with Jackson is so moving. So many small moments from this book live in my head rent-free. I remember relating to Haley feeling "discomboomulated" and that feeling was and is enough to overlook the less developed characters.

[Aleacia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book it was about a little girl whose mom was going through a hard time so she had to go away for while. She got a summer job and she did her brother. Her brother got into some trouble doing his job so he had to do some time in jail. The little girl had to go to a temporary home until everything got better.

[Georgiagirl11 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book i would have to say is the best book EVER!!!It's a book that you would want to keep reading more and more of.Everyday or when i get the time i will read this book all day.This book is about a girl named HALEY MOON.One day it was her 13th birthday she believed it was going to be the best birthday ever,but her thought was wrong!Her mother was having a breakdown!She was crying and was having a very hard time,so her mother checked herself into the hospital on haley's birthday.Poor haley was so disapointed that she seemed to have a nervous breakdown too!She was also crying!So therefore,haley and her big brother otis were living by themselves.But,good thing they had mrs.brown[there next door neighbor]to watch over them,but she wasn't watching enough!Haley wanted to do something to occupie herself,so she decied to get her a summer job.Jackson,the owner,hired haley but he did tell her it was going to be a tough job but haley said she could handle it.Haley worked for jackson helping out with the yard cause jackson's daughter,brielle,was on her way to visit and he needed the yard cleaned before brielle got there.Now what i meant when i said mrs.brown,haley's next door neighbor wasn't keeping a close eye out on otis,well you will just have to figure out for yourself!I encourage you to pick up this book and read it,cause i guarentee u that u won't want to stop reading this book!!GUARENTEE!!IT'S A AWESOME BOOK!!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hayley is a young girl that lives in a town with her mom and her brother Otis. Hayley becomes friends with a girl named Nirvana. They are eachother's best friend and they look up to eachother. Hayley's mother gets sick and she has to go to the hospital but not having a lot of money affects the mother's treatments. Hayley is suspicious about Otis because he always gets clothes and other items but supposedly he doesn't have money to pay for the hospital bills. Where is he getting all of these things? Hayley doesn't know but having Nirvana by her side helps her forget about bad things. She's still a young child that just wants to have fun. I like this book because it shows how a young girl notices things that other people may not know about. Children have open minds that are always capturing small things that you would have never thought they would. Kids learn from other people's mistakes as well.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't the best book ever, but the perspective was original. Many outsider people who see families with criminals and parents that leave their kids alone, those people tend to bias those people into the "bad" category. But in this book the author gives the perspective that some people are just struck with bad stuff that wasn't much of their fault. However, she did a big risk by showing us this perspective and i did not like it still. I mean, i could not stop myself from realizing, what is going on here is not RIGHT. even the main character that is supposed to be so sweet and kind does some really mean type stuff. i understand the situations might have been bad...but if you ask me i wouldn't blame my misfortune on little girls. What is bad is bad, and no one should try to make is LOOK good.

[Sana · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom got this book at a garage sale and at the time I wasn't into reading as much as I am now, but from a once non-lover-of-books, the book was FANTASTIC!!!! However, the book was at a 4th grade level.

[Arianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned that you can start out with a really cruddy life and end up having a wonderful one. You just need to find that special person that cares about you and you will be on your way to a wonderful life.

[Lucianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching story about a little girl who uses art to deal with losing her mother. Have tissues handy I loved the ending.

[Lanetta Dickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute to read

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good young adult read- would have liked it better ten years ago...

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive read this book over & over & OVER!! its just something i NEVER got tired of

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is full of important lessons

[Miki]

I learned alot from this book it was so good.

[Francesca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice. Simple. Truth