Clip and File Reviews of
Short Story Collections and Nonfiction
Hardbacks
Virginia R. Monseau and Gary M. Salvner,
editors
Jennings, Paul
Uncovered!
Reviewed by Joan F. Kaywell
Associate Professor of English Education
University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida
| Uncovered! by Paul Jennings |
Short Stories
|
| Viking, 1995. 134 pp. $14.99 |
|
Like a good book of poetry, Jennings' Uncovered! Weird, Weird
Stories uses just a few words to get readers thinking and
feeling. Unlike what the title suggests, however, there are only
two stories that are really weird: "Picked Bones" and "Backward
Step." These stories are just weird enough to offer readers an
opportunity to talk about strange "what-ifs." Readers who prefer
contemplation will enjoy "Forever" and its treatment of brotherly
love manifested by fetishes of toilet paper and snow, and "Listen
Ear," where a boy realizes how a single lie can ruin one's
credibility with parents. For readers who just want a "feel-good"
story, "Too Many Rabbits" with its many spoonerisms will surely
delight. "Just Like Me" satisfies as only a first love can. And
"Ringing Wet" evens the score when an older girl's bedwetting gets
the best of a neighbor and brother. Finally, students wanting a
good laugh will do just that while reading "A Mouthful," where a
father's practical joke goes awry and "Pubic Hare" - enough
said.
| The ALAN Review |
Joan F. Kaywell
|
| Fall 1996 |
University of South Florida
|
Wilson, Budge
Mothers and Other Strangers
Reviewed by John Noell Moore
Assistant Professor of English and Curriculum and
Instruction
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana
| Mothers and Other Strangers: Stories by Budge
Wilson |
Self/Crises
|
| Harcourt Brace and Company, 1996. 194 pp. $16.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-200312-6
|
Nova Scotian Budge Wilson creates nine psychological landscapes,
the best of them as provocative for close reading, discussion, and
writing as her earlier collection, The Leaving. Here
"mothers" and "other strangers" tell stories of adult conflicts
born of unresolved, often traumatic, adolescent experiences:
identity crises, unrequited love, sibling rivalry, domineering
fathers, submissive mothers. They successfully address their
conflicts, but Wilson resists easy closure, opening up each story
to readers' imaginations. In "Mrs. MacIntosh," Alfreda discovers
her classist, domineering mother-in-law's decades-old secret. "The
House on High Street" reveals human nature's darkest side when
Virginia finally understands the tragic consequences of family
infidelities. Two fine stories investigate writing as
self-discovery: "Eliot's Daughter" and "The Diary." Others deal
with unlikely romances, the pleasure of gentle, sweet revenge, and
mothers who learn to forgive their mothers. Highly recommended for
secondary school students, their teachers, and for all adults.
| The ALAN Review |
John Noell Moore
|
| Fall 1996 |
Purdue University
|
McKissack, Patricia C. and Frederick L. McKissack
Rebels Against Slavery: American Slave Revolts
Reviewed by Lisa J. McClure
Associate Professor of English
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Illinois
Rebels Against Slavery: American Slave Revolts
by Patricia C. McKissack and Frederick L. McKissack |
American History/
Slave Revolts
|
| Scholastic, 1996. 177 pp. $14.95 |
ISBN: 0-590-45735-7
|
"Arise! Arise! Shake off your chains!" Twenty-four-year-old
slave Gabriel Prosser, "armed with literacy and a gift for
speaking," encouraged other slaves to rise up against their masters
and to fight for freedom. Prosser was one of many slaves who
instigated revolts during the 300+ years of chattel slavery in the
Americas. The stories of abolitionists have oft been told, but not
so the stories of the leaders of slave revolts: their stories have
been ignored, sometimes deliberately concealed, by historians.
Familiar leaders, such as Nat Turner, and unfamiliar ones, such as
Toussaint Louverture, appear in this historic look at the role
slaves played in their battle to abolish slavery.
Carefully researched and well-written - and sometimes painfully
detailed in its depiction of the resulting violence - Rebels
Against Slavery: American Slave Revolts provides a supplement
to our history books, which fail to tell the whole story of the
emancipation of the Africans who had been brought to this country
as slaves.
| The ALAN Review |
Lisa J. McClure
|
| Fall 1996 |
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
|
Morey, Janet Nomura and Wendy Dunn
Famous Hispanic Americans
Reviewed by Alan M. McLeod
Professor of English Education
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia
Famous Hispanic Americans by Janet Nomura
Morey and Wendy Dunn |
Biography
|
| Cobblehill Books, 1996. 190 pp. $15.99 |
ISBN: 0-525-65190-X
|
This book presents portraits of fourteen Hispanic (Latino)
Americans from varying fields of endeavor: the arts (Gloria
Estefan, Andy Garcia, Lourdes Lopez, Paul Rodriguez), sports
(Felipe Alou, Gigi Fernandez), the professions and business (Jaime
Escalante, Roberto Goizueta, Carolina Herrera, Antonia Novella),
politics (Frederico Pena, Matt Rodriguez, Ileana Ros-Lehitinen),
and NASA (Ellen Ocha).
Younger adolescents will be stimulated to learn more about
Hispanics born abroad or in the United States who have succeeded in
the arts, in the U.S. Congress, in police work, in the President's
Cabinet, as Surgeon General, as presidents of major U.S.
corporations, and as athletes. Each portrait is compelling, with
one on mathematics-educator Jaime Escalante particularly so.
Multiple photographs accompany each sketch.
| The ALAN Review |
Alan M. McLeod
|
| Fall 1996 |
Virginia Commonwealth University
|
Clip and File Reviews
of New Fiction Paperbacks and Hardbacks
Virginia R. Monseau and Gary M. Salvner,
editors
Lynch, Chris
Mick
Reviewed by Jim Brewbaker
Chair, Curriculum and Instruction
Columbus College
Columbus, Georgia
| Mick by Chris Lynch Family |
Relations/Urban Ethnicity
|
| HarperCollins Trophy, 1996. 144 pp. $4.95 |
ISBN: 0064471217
|
In Mick, Chris Lynch turns an unblinking eye toward
American ethnicity at its worst. Mick is a Bostonian, a
fifteen-year-old Irish Catholic. His friends are bigots and heavy
drinkers. They settle their disputes violently. Their houses smell
of sweat, beer, urine, and worse.
Mick's neighborhood is changing; Blacks and Asians live nearby.
Cambodians and Gays march in the St. Patrick's Day parade, which
provokes violence from Mick's brother and his roughneck friends.
Described by Lynch, the scene is terrifying. Mick, influenced by
Toy and the intelligent, straight-talking Evelyn, Hispanic school
friends, wants to break out of the neighborhood mold. This turns
out to be easier said than done.
Chris Lynch, a new voice among realistic YA writers, has a
winner in Mick, the first of three titles in the Blue-Eyed
Son series, which concludes with Blood Relations and Dog
Eat Dog.
| The ALAN Review |
Jim Brewbaker
|
| Fall 1996 |
Columbus College
|
Strasser, Todd
The Boys in the Band
Reviewed by Margaret J. Ford Library/Media Specialist
Memorial High School Campbell, Ohio
| The Boys in the Band by Todd Strasser |
Comedy/Romance
|
| HarperPaperbacks, 1996. 192 pp. $3.50 |
ISBN: 0-06-106255-3
|
Frank Stone and Eddie Falco would do anything to make it big in
the music scene and leave the small-town street of Clotsburg behind
- even if anything means donning make-up and wigs and impersonating
females to land a gig with Sam Zuckert's all-girl band.
Complications arise when Sharkbait Joe, the town tough, falls for
Eddie "Ellie" Falco and Frank "Frankie" Strone falls in love with
Sabrina, a singer with the Femme Brigade.
This light novel, while not very deep in character development,
provides just enough plot twists to provide some situational humor.
Even though the female-male roles are rather stereotypical, it
provides a plausible link to the kinds of mistaken- and
switched-identity plots found in many of Shakespeare's comedies.
Middle-school-age students would find this novel fun as
recreational reading while teachers might find a bridge to other
classic tales of reversed identities.
| The ALAN Review |
Margaret J. Ford
|
| Fall 1996 |
Campbell-Memorial High School
|
Hobbs, Will
Far North
Reviewed by William R. Mollineaux English Teacher
Sedgwick Middle School West Hartford, Connecticut
| Far North by Will Hobbs |
Survival/Adventure/Native
Americans/Friendship
|
| Morrow Junior Books, 1996. 226 pp. $15.00 |
ISBN: 0-688-14192-7
|
When Clint, their bush pilot, promised that he was going to give
them a sightseeing tour they'd never forget, fifteen-year olds Gabe
Rogers and Raymond Providence had no idea that it was going to
include a five-month survival struggle in Canada's Northwest
Territories. After the destruction of their plane and Clint's
death, Gabe and Raymond learn to survive through the help of Johnny
Raven, Raymond's elderly great-uncle, a Native American. More
important, they come to appreciate and understand Johnny's last
words: "…take care of the land, take care of yourself, take
care of each other."
Readers who enjoyed Paulsen's Brian's Winter will find
Hobbs's tale equally satisfying, as two boys from different
cultures forge a bond and come to understand why tribal elders
believe that young people must possess knowledge of the past in
order to survive in the future.
| The ALAN Review |
William R. Mollineaux
|
| Fall 1996 |
Sedgwick Middle School
|
Wallace, Rich
Wrestling Sturbridge
Reviewed by Donald R. Gallo Professor of English
Central Connecticut State University New Britain, Connecticut
| Wrestling Sturbridge by Rich Wallace |
Sports/Identity
|
| Knopf, 1996. 133 pp. $16.00 |
ISBN: 0-679-87803-3
|
With this first novel, Rich Wallace has earned himself a top
ranking among the best writers of young adult sports novels. This
relatively short book is filled with vivid action scenes along with
thoughtful introspective musings by the vulnerable narrator, a
high-school senior who has been the second-best wrestler in his
weight class in a small-town Pennsylvania high school. Ben wants to
be state champion as much as the first-best wrestler, his friend
Al. But does he have enough courage to challenge - and beat - Al?
And if he doesn't beat Al and go on to college, will Ben remain
stuck in Sturbridge for the rest of his life, working in the
cinderblock factory like his dad and all the others? You don't have
to like wrestling to appreciate this novel, though sports-minded
males will likely be this book's most appreciative readers.
| The ALAN Review |
Donald R. Gallo
|
| Fall 1996 |
Central Connecticut State University
|
Clip and File Reviews of
Short Story Collections and Other Fiction
Hardbacks
Virginia R. Monseau and Gary M. Salvner,
editors
Yolen, Jane
Here There Be Witches
Reviewed by M. Jean Greenlaw
Regents Professor
University of North Texas
Denton, Texas
| Here There Be Witches by Jane Yolen |
Witches and Magic
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1995. 115 pp. $17.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-200311-8
|
Yolen has written an amazing melange of stories and poems about
witches over the years, and this collection of her work is a
companion to Here There Be Dragons and Here There Be
Unicorns (also published by Harcourt). Yolen's skill at
storytelling is evident in this collection, making it a great
choice for reading aloud to middle- and high-school classes. Her
way with words falls deftly on the ear and will guarantee a chorus
of "just one more." Each selection is introduced by Yolen's musings
on the motivation for writing the piece and gives the reader a
pleasant insight into her personality and writing style, as well as
her research and vast knowledge of the field. The book is a natural
in a writing class because it does answer the question, "Where do
you get your ideas?" Don't let the content scare you - witches are
a part of our mythology!
| The ALAN Review |
M. Jean Greenlaw
|
| Fall 1996 |
University of North Texas
|
Wrede, Patricia Book of Enchantments
Reviewed by Anne Shaughnessy
English Teacher
Fort Clarke Middle School
Gainesville, Florida
| Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede |
Fantasy
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1996. 234 pp. $17.00 |
ISBN: 0-152-01255-9
|
In this first collection of enchanted tales, Wrede provides high
entertainment for readers by giving amusing and witty twists to the
conventions of fantasy. Among these are step-sisters who are
neither jealous of each other nor despised by their step-mother, a
prince charming who needs an old woodcutter to kiss awake a
sleeping beauty, and a charmed kitchen implement which, when held
in the right hands, becomes the Frying Pan of Doom.
Fantasy's more somber themes are skillfully explored in two
retold tales when Wrede changes the point of view. To an old
Scottish folk song of fatal sibling rivalry, Wrede adds the
perspective of a middle sister, and in retelling the story of the
New Testament's prodigal, Wrede gives voice to the older and
resentful sibling. This is a collection to delight fans of the
Enchanted Forest Chronicles and certain to win Wrede new
readers.
| The ALAN Review |
Anne Shaughnessy
|
| Fall 1996 |
Fort Clarke Middle School
|
Aiken, Joan
Cold Shoulder Road
Reviewed by Joyce C. Lackie
Professor of English
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, Colorado
| Cold Shoulder Road by Joan Aiken |
Adventure/Suspense/Fantasy
|
| Delacorte, 1995. 283 pp. $15.95 |
ISBN: 0-385-32182-1
|
For a rollicking good read, start here. Joan Aiken, not well
known enough to American readers, has written a quick-paced,
fantastic adventure for middle schools in Cold Shoulder
Road. The heroine of Aiken's Wolves Chronicles, "Is" Twite, and
her cousin Arun have come from northern England to Kent to find
Arun's mother, a member of a silent sect. What they find instead is
a ring of smugglers terrorizing the countryside. Inexperienced
readers may have trouble with Aiken's eye dialect and idiomatic
expressions, but an eerie, foreboding mood is set early on and
suspense builds quickly. From the cunning, slippery villains to
Arun's insightful mother and the will child Pye, the characters
intrigue and delight. In addition, the plot includes extrasensory
communication, secret caves, kidnappings, buried treasure, and
ferocious spiders the size of cats. Not only are evil foiled and
order restored, but Arun learns that parents who love their
children do not make decisions just to please them.
| The ALAN Review |
Joyce C. Lackie
|
| Fall 1996 |
University of Northern Colorado
|
Whitcher, Susan
Enchanter's Glass
Reviewed by Teri S. Lesesne
Assistant Professor, Library Science
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas
| Enchanter's Glass by Susan Whitcher |
Fantasy
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1996. 198 pp. $17.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-201245-1
|
Phoebe has much troubling her. Her father seems to have withdrawn
from the world following a stroke; her mother is consumed with her
music. School is not even a safe haven now that her best friend
seems more concerned with make-up than with make-believe. Wishing
for some means of escape, Phoebe finds it in a glass shard and the
almost-mirror-image world she sees reflected in it.
Phoebe's young age notwithstanding, this book is real gem for
teachers in middle and high school. Phoebe's adventures in her
mirror world are similar to those experienced by the characters in
one of her father's favorite works: The Fairie Queen by
Spenser. Each chapter opens with a passage from Spenser's work, and
the events of that chapter relate in some way to the quotation.
This conceit of an allegory within an allegory is perfectly
perpetuated throughout this adventure fantasy. Phoebe learns to
look through the poetic images to the true reality in her life.
| The ALAN Review |
Teri S. Lesesne
|
| Fall 1996 |
Sam Houston State University
|
Clip and File Reviews of New Fiction
Hardbacks
Virginia R. Monseau and Gary M. Salvner,
editors
Schnur, Steven
Beyond Providence
Reviewed by Judy Stoffel
Professor of English
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary of the Woods, Indiana
| Beyond Providence by Steven Schnur |
Farm Life/Relationships
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1996. 242 pp. $12.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-200982-5
|
Set on a Hudson River valley farm around the turn of the century,
this novel takes well-worn plot elements and makes them fresh and
readable. The twelve-year-old boy, left motherless by a mysterious
accident, faces life with a bitter father, a rebellious older
brother with artistic talent, and a dilapidated farm. The dismal
situation is lightened by several likeable characters, especially
the "spinster" relation who comes to keep house; however, the
author successfully sustains the oppressive, mud-covered feel of
hard farm life for most of the novel. Readers of "coming-of-age"
novels will not be surprised to see another
"will-the-boy-be-able-to-shoot-the-buck" subplot. More unusual (and
somewhat far-fetched) is a sojourn into the New York City art
world. Overall, middle-school readers, and perhaps older ones,
should find the trials and triumphs of this family - both physical
and emotional - engaging and relevant to their own lives.
| The ALAN Review |
Judy Stoffel
|
| Fall 1996 |
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
|
Mead, Alice
Adem's Cross
Reviewed by Rick Williams
English Teacher
Hubbard High School
Hubbard, Ohio
| Adem's Cross by Alice Mead |
Yugoslav War
|
| Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1996. 144 pp. $15.00 |
ISBN: 0-374-30057-7
|
For fourteen-year-old Adem, the internal conflicts of
adolescence are exacerbated by the external conflicts of the
current crisis in his native Kosovo, a province of the former
Yugoslavia. Through Adem, Mead tells a turbulent tale that
illustrates the complexities of the Balkan tragedy and examines
active versus passive resistance to oppression. Young adult readers
will identify with the teenage characters who sip Coke, absorb MTV,
disagree with elders, and preen before mirrors. However, readers
will be shocked by the atrocities that these characters endure as
they hope beyond hope that the world will rescue them. Adem suffers
the loss of friends and family before he himself is victimized by
the thugs who rule his land. In the struggle to survive, Adem must
compromise his conscience; pray to three Gods - Muslim, Catholic,
and Orthodox - avoid the very publicity that could rouse the
world's attention; and bear his cross.
| The ALAN Review |
Rick Williams
|
| Fall 1996 |
Hubbard High School
|
Paulsen, Gary
Brian's Winter
Reviewed by Gary M. Salvner
Professor of English Education
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio
| Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen |
Adventure/Survival
|
| Delacorte, 1996. 133 pp. $15.95 |
ISBN: 0-385-32198-8
|
This "alternative sequel" explores what might have happened had
thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson not been rescued at the end of
Paulsen's noted Hatchet and instead had to survive a frigid
winter alone in the northern Canadian wilderness. In this book the
cold is the primary enemy, and Brian again learns that survival
depends upon first observing closely his environment and then
living according to its laws.
A veteran winter survivalist, Paulsen fills Brian's
Winter with the same vivid details that made the earlier
Hatchet and The River so believable. And here he adds an
extra dimension: like Russell Suskit in Paulsen's Dogsong,
Brian survives this time by returning to the "old ways" -
fashioning flint arrowheads to hunt large game and even painting on
cave walls to record important events. Finally, Paulsen has brought
his lively humor to this work. His character Betty the skunk is
certainly literature's most entertaining animal thief since E. B.
White's Templeton!
Lovers of Gary Paulsen's survival stories will love this work
also. This is terrific outdoor adventure writing.
| The ALAN Review |
Gary M. Salvner
|
| Fall 1996 |
Youngstown State University
|
Meyer, Carolyn
Gideon's People
Reviewed by Jeffrey Kaplan
Visiting Assistant Professor
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida
| Gideon's People by Carolyn Meyer |
Religious Differences
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1996. 297 pp. $12.00 I |
ISBN: 0-15-200303-7
|
Now here's a switch. Twelve-year-old Isaac Litvak, an Orthodox
Jew, wakes up after a wagon accident in the home of an Amish
family. Really. After all, how many stories have you read where the
two conflicting cultures are Orthodox Jews and the Amish? The
novelty of this unique clash of cultures makes for a most
interesting and provocative read.
Trouble begins when Gideon, the sixteen-year-old son in this
kind Amish family, announces to his new-found friend, Isaac, that
he is secretly planning to run away. Gideon is rebelling from his
traditional Amish responsibilities - preparing for his baptism,
getting married, and settling down. Gideon's sister Annie, however,
begs Isaac to help her prevent Gideon from running away. If Gideon
leaves, Annie explains, his Amish family will have to shun him.
Isaac, an Orthodox Jew, knows all too well the rigors of rituals as
he struggles to come to grips with the need to balance family
traditions and personal freedoms.
| The ALAN Review |
Jeffrey Kaplan
|
| Fall 1996 |
University of Central Florida
|
Clip and File Reviews of
New Fiction Hardbacks
Virginia R. Monseau and Gary M. Salvner,
editors
Klein, Robin
The Sky in Silver Lace
Reviewed by Connie Russell
K-12 Reading/Language Arts Coordinator
Eau Claire Area School District
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
| The Sky in Silver Lace by Robin Klein |
Poverty/Siblings
|
| Viking, 1995. 178 pp. $13.99 |
ISBN: 0-670-86692-X
|
Vivienne, Cathy, Heather, and Grace move from a small country
town to the city where their mother grew up. Poverty forces them to
move in temporarily with a crotchety man and a stern aunt until
they are able to move to a low-income flat. The sisters begin to
understand each other better as they deal with sibling rivalry,
competition with other girls who don't have to buy their clothes at
a second-hand store, and a mother who is desperately trying to make
ends meet. This story, focusing mainly on well-developed characters
rather than plot, has a flavor not unlike Little Women and
The Five Little Peppers. Its appeal will be to adolescent
girls who are avid readers.
| The ALAN Review |
Connie Russell
|
| Fall 1996 |
Eau Claire Area School District
|
Byalick, Marcia
It's a Matter of Trust
Reviewed by Hugh Agee
Professor, English Education
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
| It's a Matter of Trust by Marcia Byalick |
Fathers and Daughters/
Political Corruption
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1995. 247 pp. $11.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-276660-X
|
When sixteen-year-old Erika Gresham's father, a state education
official, is charged with extortion, Erika's world seems to fall
apart. The media hounds the family, and some of Erika's classmates
are most unkind. The family moves in with her mother's parents for
privacy. Erika and her brother, who is away at college, struggle
with their feelings about their father's humiliating acts. When
Erika wins a tennis tournament by calling a ball out of bounds that
isn't, she rationalizes her own dishonesty as a way of punishing
her father, who is watching. Erika details the events leading up to
the trial and the resolution of the case. With the support of her
best friend, Allison, and Greg, a co-worker at the summer camp
where she works, Erika can finally come to terms with herself, her
tennis coach, and especially her father, who faces a two-year
prison term.
Through first-person narrative and media clips, Marcia Byalick
keeps the focus on Erika, making this a good first novel that will
interest female readers in grades 7-10.
| The ALAN Review |
Hugh Agee
|
| Fall 1996 |
University of Georgia
|
Rosenberg, Liz
Heart and Soul
Reviewed by Gretchen Schwarz
Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction
Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, Oklahoma
| Heart and Soul by Liz Rosenberg |
Prejudice/Depression
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1996. 213 pp. $11.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-201270-2
|
Depressed over her passive mother and continually absent father,
and creatively blocked in her music, seventeen-year-old Willie
finally takes charge of her own future and feelings. This book
requires reflection. The characters are vivid but complex,
especially the awkward, ironic Willie, the narrator, and her
outrageous friend Malachi Gelb. Descriptions are thought-provoking:
"All that spring our house felt like a doctor's waiting
room…." The plot is never predictable; whether or not Willie's
salesman father will come home is unclear until the end. Central to
the story is a satirical portrayal of anti-semitism in Richmond,
Virginia, where Willie lives. The coming-out party at which Willie
and Malachi are misfits is funny as well as poignant.
This book is for older students ready to struggle a bit. The
issues of depression, dealing with parents, and facing prejudice
are engaging but not simply resolved. This book stays with you like
a lingering melody.
| The ALAN Review |
Gretchen Schwarz
|
| Fall 1996 |
Oklahoma State University
|
Nolan, Han
Send Me Down a Miracle
Reviewed by Lisa Wroble
Plymouth, Michigan
| Send Me Down a Miracle by Han Nolan |
Relationships/Power of Hope
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1996. 250 pp. $12.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-200979-5
|
Fourteen-year-old Charity's summer vacation is anything but
boring when Adrienne Dabney comes to town. An artist, Adrienne is
conducting a sensory-deprivation experiment to heighten her
creativity. Locking herself in her family home for a month, she
emerges, claiming to have been visited by Jesus.
Send Me Down a Miracle is about relationships among
family, among friends, and among members of a small town. It is
also about the power of hope and faith, in self and in others. Torn
between being the good little preacher's daughter and her adoration
of Adrienne's free spirit, Charity grows to see her father, whom
she idolizes, as fallible. The glamour Charity at first saw in
Adrienne fades as she realizes apparent caring and encouragement
may have selfish undertones.
Han Nolan uses dialect and characterization to lighten the tone
of Charity's discoveries. The use of first person, as if Charity is
recalling the past event, is face-paced and rarely falters.
| The ALAN Review |
Lisa Wroble
|
| Fall 1996 |
Plymouth, Michigan
|
Clip and File Reviews of
New Fiction Hardbacks
Virginia R. Monseau and Gary M. Salvner,
editors
Voigt, Cynthia
Bad Girls
Reviewed by Connie S. Zitlow
Director of Secondary Education
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, Ohio
| Bad Girls by Cynthia Voigt |
Friendship/School
|
| Scholastic, 1996. 256 pp. $16.95 |
ISBN: 0-590-60134-2
|
"ME" stands for Margalo Epps and Michelle ("Mikey") Elsinger,
two new students who meet on the first day of fifth grade. In this
episodic story, set in an elementary school and told primarily in
dialogue, the ME girls are as mean as possible. Mikey is
aggressive, changes the all-male soccer team, and is in constant
battle with Louis Caselli. Margalo seems sweet but is the
instigator of malicious gossip and gross tricks.
It is difficult to say who will read this book, because the only
thing that drives the story is wondering what the girls will do
next or guessing who changed the contents of Rhonda's lunch box.
The stereotypical descriptions of the teacher and the students
(bullies, Gap girls, and nerds) are disturbing and the figurative
language ineffective, even if done to convey a certain perspective.
Bad Girls is not among the better stories that Voigt has
written. Readers expecting powerful language, strong
characterization, and an interesting plot will be disappointed.
| The ALAN Review |
Connie S. Zitlow
|
| Fall 1996 |
Ohio Wesleyan University
|
Willey, Margaret
Facing the Music
Reviewed by Jeanne M. McGlinn
Assistant Professor of Education
University of North Carolina-Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina
| Facing the Music by Margaret Willey |
Death/Family/Coming of Age
|
| Delacorte, 1996. 184 pp. $14.95 |
ISBN: 0-385-32104-X
|
The chance to become lead singer in her brother's band sets the
stage for sixteen-year-old Lisa Franklin to grow emotionally. For
the first time in four years, she is able to talk about her dead
mother to Danny, her brother's friend. But she also realizes that
her romantic attachment to Danny is one-sided.
The story centers on the changes in Lisa, but Mark, her older
brother, also expresses his confusion, resentment, and grief -
mostly in separate chapters. Lisa's coming of age coincides with
her family's renewal as they learn how important it is to feel -
not just sadness - but also love, accomplishment, and friendship.
For Lisa this learning comes when she realizes that she is gifted
in her singing, that she is capable of accomplishing things on her
own, and that she needs her friends and family. Renewal comes when
she and her family can also face how things end.
| The ALAN Review |
Jeanne M. McGlinn
|
| Fall 1996 |
University of North Carolina-Asheville
|
Rodowsky, Colby
Remembering Mog
Reviewed by Hannah Pickworth
Librarian
Friends School of Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland
| Remembering Mog by Colby Rodowsky |
Grief
|
| Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1996. 136 pp. $14.00 |
ISBN: 0-374-34663-1
|
As the Fitzhugh family approaches the two-year anniversary date
of the murder of their oldest daughter, Mog, all are still
painfully living in slow motion. Younger sister and narrator,
Annie, finds herself unable to move ahead of where Mog's life
stopped. With the support of various characters, including a
therapist, Annie begins the healing process, which she hopes will
eventually include the rest of the family.
While some readers may not want to read about Mog's violent
death, they will be able to join Annie's struggle as each family
member experiences pain, isolation, and grief, and moves toward
healing. A large part of Annie's healing process is learning to be
accepted for herself and not as a replacement for her older sister.
Readers will appreciate the Fitzhughs, who struggle with problems
that have no easy answers.
| The ALAN Review |
Hannah Pickworth
|
| Fall 1996 |
Friends School of Baltimore
|
Hewett, Lorri
Soulfire
Reviewed by Elizabeth Poe
Associate Professor of English
Radford University
Radford, Virginia
| Soulfire by Lorri Hewett |
Coming of Age/Gangs
|
| Dutton, 1996. 231 pp. $15.99 |
ISBN: 0-525-45559-0
|
Set in contemporary Denver, Soulfire describes
sixteen-year-old Todd Williams' search for self-understanding amid
the complexities of his black community. Having spent most of his
life observing the behavior of his headstrong cousin and best
friend Ezekiel, Todd is now angered by Zeke's smug, self-righteous
attitude and lack of appreciation for the love and concern that his
father, the Reverend Washington, holds for him. Todd's anger and
frustration escalate as life becomes increasingly confusing with
family members fighting each other as well as members of a rival
Hispanic gang. The gang-related death of his cousin Tommy serves as
a rite of passage for Todd who gathers bits of insight into the
meaning of manhood from all the males he knows and finally allows
himself to recognize the love and strength both his mother and
Leandrea, the girl he loves, have to offer.
Although there are graphic descriptions of fight scenes, the
action in this insightful story is primarily internal as Todd grows
from an uncertain boy into a more self-assured young man.
| The ALAN Review |
Elizabeth Poe
|
| Fall 1996 |
Radford University
|
Clip and File Reviews of
New Historical Fiction Hardbacks
Virginia R. Monseau and Gary M. Salvner,
editors
Lester, Jim
Fallout
Reviewed by Gary D. Schmidt
Chair, Department of English
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
| Fallout by Jim Lester |
Fathers and Sons/
Vietnam War
|
| Delacorte, 1996. 212 pp. $15.95 |
ISBN: 0-385-32168-6
|
Living in the shadow of his father's extraordinary reputation,
Kenny Francis can do nothing but screw up. Where his father was a
football hero and died saving his entire platoon in Vietnam, Kenny
just seems to be flunking out in school, in life. When he arrives
at Bedford Academy to straighten himself out in this, his junior
year, he confronts the unreal ghosts of his father's past. In the
greatest crisis of his life, he finds the courage to do what needs
to be done, as well as the courage to admit a mistake - an
admission that leads to freedom from the terrible burden of his
father's reputation. A raw, sometimes funny, sometimes painful
first-person narrative of an adolescent filled with anger, this
novel focuses on legacies of loss, as well as the pain of
concealing the mistakes of the past.
| The ALAN Review |
Gary D. Schmidt
|
| Fall 1996 |
Calvin College
|
White, Ruth
Belle Prater's Boy
Reviewed by Joyce A. Litton
Library Associate
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio
| Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White |
Loss/Identity
|
| Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1996. 196 pp. $16.00 |
ISBN: 0-374-30668-0
|
Ruth White has a strong sense of place in her depiction of
Appalachian Coal Station, Virginia, in 1954. Her main theme, the
loss of a parent, is a somber one, but she leavens it with humor.
Twelve-year-old Woodrow Prater tells fanciful stories about his
mother's disappearance a year earlier to silence the curious and to
comfort himself. His sixth-grade cousin, Gypsy Leemaster, must come
to grips with the reality that she has repressed her father's
suicide (when she was five years old) and her discovery of the
body. To show her anger at her father, she chops off her
waist-length hair which had been his pride. Once Gypsy accepts her
loss, Woodrow is able to tell her the truth about his mother. This
novel should help young adults who are grieving over a parent.
| The ALAN Review |
Joyce A. Litton
|
| Fall 1996 |
Ohio University Library
|
Bunting, Eve
SOS Titanic
Reviewed by Nancy E. Zuwiyya
English Teacher
Binghamton City School District
Binghamton, New York
| SOS Titanicby Eve Bunting |
Shipwreck/Historical Fiction
|
| Harcourt Brace & Company, 1996. 246 pp. $12.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-201305-9
|
Bunting combines historical accounts of the sinking of the
Titanic with the story of a fifteen-year-old Irish boy leaving
home and grandparents to join his parents in America. It is April,
1912, and Barry O'Neill has mixed feelings about his departure from
Ireland, especially when he learns that local ruffians with a
grudge against his family are sailing in the steerage. Bunting
weaves together the stories of Barry's girlfriend in the steerage,
first-class companions, and inexorably the story of the tragic
sinking of the Titanic. Careful attention to historical
detail adds interest to this fast-paced novel, but the emphasis is
definitely on narrative as the suspense builds. Bunting tells the
story well, but her ability to set the scene, both in the beginning
and at the end, when she describes the death of the ship itself,
carries this fine novel beyond mere narrative into an unforgettable
scene of death and survival.
| The ALAN Review |
Nancy E. Zuwiyya
|
| Fall 1996 |
Binghamton City School District
|
Walter, Mildred Pitts
Second Daughter: The Story of a Slave Girl
Reviewed by Barbara G. Samuels
Associate Professor of Education
University of Houston Clear Lake
Houston, Texas
Second Daughter: The Story of a Slave Girl
by Mildred Pitts Walter |
Slavery
|
| Scholastic, 1996. 211 pp. $15.95 |
ISBN: 0-590-48282-3
|
Contrary to popular belief, not all slaves in the colonies lived
in the South. In 1781 Mum Bett sued for her freedom under the
Massachusetts Constitution. Walter skillfully weaves a fictional
story around the known facts about Bett, as seen by her feisty
younger sister Aissa. Born slaves in New York, the sisters
accompany their mistress to Massachusetts when she marries.
Mistress Ashley is a demanding woman who expects backbreaking work,
refuses to allow Bett to marry, and often loses her temper. While
serving visiting men who discuss issues of the day, including the
Declaration of Independence and the Boston Tea Party, Bett learns
about a bill of rights which states that all men are born equal
with rights under the Constitution. When Mistress Ashley viciously
loses her temper, Bett finds a lawyer to help. Recounting a
little-known part of American history, Walter effectively captures
the voice of a slave who longs for freedom.
| The ALAN Review |
Barbara G. Samuels
|
| Fall 1996 |
University of Houston Clear Lake
|
Clip and File Reviews of
New Fiction Hardbacks
Virginia R. Monseau and Gary M. Salvner,
editors
Cooney, Caroline B.
Out of Time
Reviewed by Diana Mitchell
Williamson, Michigan
| Out of Time by Caroline B. Cooney |
Time Travel/1890s
|
| Delacorte, 1996. 200 pp. $10.95 |
ISBN: 0-385-32226-7
|
In this sequel to Both Sides of Time, Annie Lockwood and
her brother are entangled in the mess of their parents' separation
when a quick remembrance of moving through time invades Annie's
brain and reminds her of her strong desire to return to the 19th
century.
Although she feels the pull to remain with her brother, she
can't resist the tug to go back in time to see her beloved, Strat,
and resolve her unanswered questions. Scenes quickly unfold - Strat
being physically restrained in an insane asylum, his powerless
sister Delonny being manipulated by a man of evil intentions, his
fiancee, Harriet, wasting away from consumption in a cold
sanitarium. Into these disastrous situations comes Annie,
determined to help her beloved and his family.
This fast-paced thriller has it all - characters we care about,
a plot that twists and turns every which way, and writing strong
enough to keep the reader involved. I learned a lot about life 100
years ago and can't wait for the sequel, Prisoner of
Time.
The ALAN Review Diana Mitchell
Fall 1996 Williamston, Michigan
McCaffrey, Anne
Black Horses for the King
Reviewed by Jennifer B. Monseau
Cincinnati, Ohio
Black Horses for the King
by Anne McCaffrey |
Arthurian Legend/
Adventure
|
| Harcourt Brace & Company, 1996. 223 pp. $16.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-227322-0
|
Ann McCaffrey's latest young adult novel leads readers through
an exciting time in history and a time of coming of age for a young
man. McCaffrey chooses to focus on a fascinating aspect of
Arthurian legend that is usually overlooked: how King Arthur and
his army came to own the majestic black stallions that helped them
win many victories in battle.
McCaffrey's hero, young Galwyn, is an intelligent boy searching
for a father figure he can look up to and for someone who will see
him for the honest, intelligent, and capable person that he is.
Readers will cheer Galwyn on as he breaks free from his oppressive
uncle and becomes a loyal servant of Lord Artos, later known as
King Arthur. Galwyn goes from being a quiet, timid boy to a
confident young man who will protect Lord Artos' Libyan horses at
all costs. This novel will leave readers wanting to hear more of
Galwyn's adventures in the future.
| The ALAN Review |
Jennifer B. Monseau
|
| Fall 1996 |
Cincinnati, Ohio
|
Hunter, Mollie
The Walking Stones
Reviewed by Laura M. Zaidman
Professor of English
University of South Carolina, Sumter
Sumter, South Carolina
| The Walking Stones by Mollie Hunter |
Supernatural/Scotland
|
| Harcourt Brace, 1996. 168 pp. $5.00 |
ISBN: 0-15-200995-7
|
First published as The Bodach in Britain in 1970, this
fast-paced tale juxtaposes ancient Celtic folklore with society's
demand for progress. The Bodach ("old man" in Gaelic) delights
ten-year-old Donald with Scottish Highland legends: strange,
shadowy Otherworld beings and heroes of brave battles. Besides
entertaining his young friend, the old silver-tongued storyteller
shares his secrets - seeing into the future with Second Sight and
creating a Co-Walker. Donald protects the mysterious walking stones
from imminent destruction, as a hydro-electric company prepares to
flood the glen. The stones come alive to perform their centennial
ritual, and Donald witnesses the great circle of stones merging
with ancient priests for one final miracle before supernatural
power yields to electrical power. Universal themes of friendship,
responsibility, social change, death, and hope make this story
relevant to readers today. Hunter creates magic with her graceful
style and suspenseful plot. Like the walking stones, her book has
re-awakened to charm another generation.
| The ALAN Review |
Laura M. Zaidman
|
| Fall 1996 |
University of South Carolina, Sumter
|
McDaniel, Lurlene
Saving Jessica
Reviewed by Anne Sherrill
Professor of English
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee
| Saving Jessica by Lurlene McDaniel |
Illness
|
| Bantam, 1996. 191 pp. $3.99 |
ISBN: 0-553-56721-7
|
Seventeen-year-old Jessica and sixteen-year-old Jeremy are
contented high-school sweethearts. Then comes the diagnosis of
Jessica's kidney disease. When dialysis fails, a transplant becomes
the only hope for living a normal life. When found to be a
matchable donor, Jeremy determines to give Jessica one of his
kidneys, even if it means taking his parents to court to win the
right to do so against their wishes.
Written in a readable if unremarkable style, the book presents
teenagers who think and behave as adults and educated, loving
parents who want what is best for their only children. Parents and
educators sensitive to language or sex will find nothing
objectionable. A twelve- to fifteen-year-old reader will gain
knowledge about kidney disease, witness dedicated and idealized
teen love, and go away with a strong message that faith and
determination can win over adversity.
| The ALAN Review |
Anne Sherrill
|
| Fall 1996 |
East Tennessee State University
|
![[Alan Review Image]](http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/alan-review-log1.jpg)
