The Keeper was the basis for "My Dad Can't be Crazy, Can He?" an Afterschool The Keeper 3437 Special aired September 14, 1989, on ABC-TV.

The Keeper is based loosely on Naylor's book, Crazy Love: An Autobiographical Account of Marriage and Madness, which records the mental illness of her first husband. Although it is intended for adult audiences, some high school students may possess the maturity necessary to read and appreciate the account. Naylor is very forward and at times, graphic in her descriptions of intimacies between her and her husband. The two titles provide an excellent opportunity for the reader to analyze Naylor's writing style and how she uses many of her own experiences along with her imagination to produce a captivating narrative for young people.