(4) 4-6 A sixth-grade community service project turns dangerous when intrepid, resourceful Emmy abandons caution while delivering food to a needy family. Emmy's frank demeanor and persistent altruism are appealing traits, but her guilelessness leads her into a criminal's clutches. The mystery is too mild to be truly suspenseful, but Emmy's good-intentioned mistakes raise provocative questions about choosing right from wrong.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) 4-6 Animals typically play important roles in Kehret's fiction. In this memoir, readers see what a major role they play in her life. Living on a protected preserve, Kehret quietly rescues many feral, abandoned, and lost animals. Without drama, episodic chapters describe many such events, introducing the real-life models of many of her fictional animal characters.

Reviewer: Betty Carter

(4) 4-6 Rusty is dismayed to see a dog chained up outside without food or water. With the help of his friend Andrew, he hatches a plan to rescue the creature from its life of abuse; in doing so he finds that doing the right thing is sometimes complicated. Emphasis on raising awareness about animal cruelty sometimes overshadows the story line.

Reviewer: Pearl Higgins

(3) 4-6 Foster child Sunny dreams of reuniting with her twin sister, Starr, after years of separation. Soon fate leads Sunny on a journey from Nebraska to Washington State, accompanied by a stray dog, to find Starr, but the reunion is not what Sunny had expected. Readers will enjoy following the protagonist on her emotional voyage.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(4) 4-6 Amy feels fortunate to land a babysitting job for a wealthy family until two petty criminals show up to kidnap both her and her charge. Trapped in a rustic shack, Amy must use her gumption and creativity to ensure rescue or escape. There's some pedestrian dialogue to get through, but Amy's interior conflict is gripping and believable.

Reviewer: Rebecca Hachmyer

(3) 4-6 Both Alex and his cat Pete (The Stranger Next Door, Spy Cat) narrate this thriller (with Pete's snarky contributions in italics). After rescuing an illegally trapped pig, Alex and his friends are determined to protect it. But then the pig's owner kidnaps Pete and threatens to kill him. Kehret's unusual narrative team and the story's expert pacing contribute to a satisfying read.

Reviewer: Cindy Lombardo

(2) 4-6 Juvenile mystery author Kehret relates, simply and directly, the story of her bout at age twelve with infantile paralysis. Diagnosed with polio, she was quarantined and taken to a hospital, and later to a rehabilitation center. Kehret's story is family-centered and heartwarming in a way that seems both old-fashioned and refreshing. This tenth-anniversary edition includes an epilogue and additional photos. Reading list.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc. | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 1997

(3) 4-6 On vacation in Oregon, Kyle and his younger sister, BeeBee, spend the evening in a hotel while their parents attend a business dinner. When an earthquake jolts the area, the kids must first escape a fire at the hotel, then head for higher ground as a tsunami speeds toward the coast. Kyle's first-person narrative effectively sustains suspense in this fast-paced adventure.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Alex and his family get some new neighbors--a girl and her grandmother who tend injured animals--at the same time their housing development is hit by a series of burglaries. Alex's cat, Pete, plays a role in the investigation and contributes his own sardonic comments (in italics) throughout the text. This device adds a welcome touch of humor to the suspenseful story.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Alex is glad when a boy his age moves in next door, but Rocky rejects Alex's friendship. A series of mysterious fires in their housing development makes Alex wonder if Rocky is somehow involved. Kehret does a good job of maintaining suspense and establishing several possible culprits. In an amusing gimmick, Alex's cat, Pete, contributes his own (appropriately catty) comments to the narrative.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) 4-6 Readers of Small Steps will be especially interested in this continuation of her autobiography. In conversational prose, Kehret discusses early job experiences, marriage and motherhood, and her enduring love for animals. The main emphasis of the volume--Kehret's determination to be a writer--not only provides insight into the craft but may also serve to give inspiration to other aspiring authors.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 When Erin objects to a class trip to a circus notorious for animal abuse, she and her classmates decide to buy one of its elephants, but they must raise eight thousand dollars in three weeks. The story is somewhat predictable and blandly told, but Erin's determination makes her an engaging heroine who copes well with the conflicts created by her teacher, the circus owner, and the fundraising efforts.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) 4-6 After being suddenly orphaned, Jeremy is taking the train to Chicago to live with his uncle. When the train crashes, the thirteen-year-old wanders away from the wreckage. He finds a cabin in the woods where he lives for a few days and discovers a bear-poaching conspiracy. The characters and their motivations don't always ring true in this modest mystery.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(4) 4-6 In this epistolary novel, eleven-year-old Julie pours her heart out in letters to an elderly pen pal. When diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, Julie worries about her participation in the school Fun Run and the talent show. Though one wonders how she can hand-write and type all those letters when her hands hurt so much, the novel does offer a readable perspective on an unusual topic.

Reviewer: Anne St. John

(4) 4-6 Photographs by Greg Farrar. Kehret tells the stories of eight dogs, rescued from animal shelters to go on to bigger and better things--like Tracker, who became an animal actor, and Ivan, who alerted his hearing-impaired family of a fire. Each chapter begins with a black-and-white photo and ends with a sidebar on a profile-related topic. Despite the often melodramatic tone, these tales will beguile dog-loving readers.

Reviewer: Emma Loy-Santelli

(4) 4-6 Repeatedly accosted by a woman who claims to be her real mother, thirteen-year-old Ginger struggles to outwit the stalker--without seeking advice from her parents or other adults. A moral-dilemma subplot, which finds Ginger making a decision that could jeopardize family members' businesses, helps to flesh out the characters. The fast-paced thriller is appealing despite the contrived ending.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger