Product Description

World War II has just been won, and everything seems possible to young Keely Connor. She sees herself as a hero on a white charger, able to conquer the world, even though in reality her charger is Lola, the placid horse that lives in the field behind her house.

One fateful summer day her brother Patrick is stricken with polio. Here is an enemy Keely cannot conquer. With all the will in the world, she cannot pass on to Patrick her zest or her energy or her own good health. Keely’s battle to save Patrick has become one of the classics of Canadian children’s literature and, in translations, around the world. This beautifully redesigned edition will capture the hearts of a whole new generation of readers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1826886 in Books
• Published on: 2003-09-09
• Released on: 2003-09-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 232 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Johnston makes a rousing debut with this moving book, set in 1946, winner of the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature in Canada. Keely, age 12, and her spirited, slightly older brother Patrick are "Siamese twins joined at the mind." But a carefree summer in their Canadian town ends abruptly when Patrick contracts polio (presumably from swimming, despite warnings, in a particular pool). Frustrated by his near-total paralysis, the boy lashes out at family and friends, and castigates himself. Eager to bolster Patrick's morale, his sister enlists the help of best friend Ginny and Alex, a good-natured new neighbor. Although the story takes off slowly (a paragraph is spent on toasting bread), it accelerates into a spectacular novel, balancing coming-of-age angst with the grief from a sudden, devastating affliction. Keely, a captivating narrator, has moments of jocularity; after a showdown with an angry skunk, for example, she confides, "I knew I had reached the depths, the absolute Grand Canyon of embarrassment." Although the characters live in a more innocent time, they are easy to identify with, as is this story's espousal of hope and determination over self-pity and despair. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8?A resilient and adventurous girl worships her gifted older brother; when he is stricken with polio and loses interest in life, she commits herself to restoring his broken spirit. A story set in Canada in 1946 that pulses with emotion and determination.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
Keely, 12, and her brother Patrick, 13, are rivals given to challenging, often dangerous, dares but also ``Siamese twins, joined at the mind.'' When polio strikes (it's 1946) and the active boy is left not only without movement but deeply despondent, Keely also finds her world profoundly altered. Her sympathy for Patrick is believably tempered with impatience with his negativism and her own discomfort with the disruption of their household. Warmhearted nurse Peggy's good sense is a first step on the way to partial recovery, and Keely first sparks Patrick's interest with a far-fetched plan to find Peggy's fianc‚, missing and presumed dead in WW II. But it's Keely's imagination, guile, and persistence--in the face of Patrick's continuing opposition--that lead to finding new, understanding friends and getting him into a wheelchair and out of the house. Still, Patrick's real healing begins only after he attempts suicide, realizes how glad he is that he failed, and begins to make the physical and emotional efforts needed for a productive life. It's not easy, nor simplistically presented: Patrick's bitter despair is as graphically evoked as feisty Keely's more humorous pratfalls and adolescent angst. Winner of Canada's Governor General's Award: a fine first novel with an intense, beautifully developed sibling relationship. (Fiction. 10-14) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

A Happy Discovery

Never having heard of the author before, I came across a copy of this book in our local library and took it out to read to my eleven-year old, visiting god-daughter. We had a good time reading and discussing it and considered it far above the average in present-day children's books. Although the author deals with serious and even tragic topics, she does so with great sensitivity and with humour. We rolled with laughter at some of the scenes. The serious side of things led to interesting discussions about life, and I appreciated Julie Johnston's courage in presenting such topics for children to consider, in a context which was not too difficult for them to digest. My god-daughter still likes to talk about the time we read this book and how much she enjoyed it.

Since then, I have read Adam and Eve and Pinch Me, by the same author, which I also enjoyed, but not as much as Hero of Lesser Causes.

A Happy Discovery
I'm astonished that I'm the first to review this outstanding children's book! Never having heard of the author before, I came across a copy in our local library and took it out to read to my visiting god-daughter. We had a good time reading and discussing it and considered it far above the average in present-day children's books. Although the author deals with serious and even tragic topics, she does so with great sensitivity and with humour. We rolled with laughter at some of the scenes. The serious side of things led to interesting discussions about life, and I appreciated Julie Johnston's courage in presenting such topics for children to consider, in a context which was not too difficult for them to digest. My god-daughter still likes to talk about the time we read this book and how much she enjoyed it.

Since reading this book, I have read Adam and Eve and Pinch Me, which I also enjoyed, but not as much as Hero of Lesser Causes.

Very good
This book was good because of the real life epidemic, Polio. It made you think and feel for Patrick. It had a good ending with the freind with the horse