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Abrahams, Peter
7 Reviews
(3)
4-6
Outlaws of Sherwood Street series.
Greedy developer Sheldon Gunn wants to practically block out the sky in Robbie's Brooklyn neighborhood with his new office tower. But Robbie and her friends feel powerless since they've lost the magic charm that saved them in Robbie Forester and the Outlaws of Sherwood Street. Themes of social responsibility and personal relationships lurk under the fast-paced action.
Reviewer: Lisa Catherine Findlay
(4)
4-6
Seventh-grader Robyn (called Robbie) Forester comes into possession of a magic charm just as a developer tries to push small business owners out of the neighborhood by raising their rents. Using her private school friends and newly discovered powers from the charm, Robbie and company are able to thwart the greedy bad guys. The topic is timely, but it's all a little obvious.
Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Frank Morrison.
This cheerful title follows a small, thumb-sucking duck who smacks a home run to lift his team to victory. Transitions from one page to the next can be disorientingly abrupt; still, young baseball fans might well identify with Thumby's success. Morrison's textured illustrations are energetic and colorful. A few "Batting Tip" text boxes are included.
Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin
(3)
YA
Wyatt's biological father, Sonny, is serving a life sentence for a crime committed before Wyatt was born. After meeting Sonny through an attractive (if unstable) girl whose father is incarcerated in the same prison, Wyatt begins searching for the truth behind his father's alleged crime. Tight writing and a suspenseful climax make for an exciting read.
Reviewer: Randy Ribay
(3)
YA
His promising football career kaput after a knee injury, sixteen-year-old Cody drops out of high school. After learning of ex-girlfriend Clea's disappearance from her elite Vermont boarding school, Cody sets off to investigate. Danger looms as he interacts with locals and rich boarding-school kids and uncovers secrets. Abrahams has crafted a suspenseful mystery with well-drawn characters.
Reviewer: Carolyn Shute
(4)
4-6
Echo Falls series.
Ingrid's grandfather is the prime suspect in a murder, but the curmudgeonly WWII hero refuses to provide an alibi. In between rehearsals for Hansel and Gretel, thirteen-year-old Ingrid does some investigating of her own. Abrahams expands on subplots introduced in earlier books (e.g., Ingrid's friendship/relationship with Joey; her dad's extramarital affair), but this book's mystery isn't nearly as engaging.
Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger
(3)
4-6
Echo Falls series.
Like her favorite detective Sherlock Holmes, thirteen-year-old Ingrid is keenly observant and stubbornly persistent. But when she learns she may have spotted a murderer, Ingrid feels as topsy-turvy as Alice in Wonderland (whom she happens to be portraying in a local theater production). Ingrid is a well-drawn character, and the Holmes and Alice comparisons are never overdone in this breezy mystery.
Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger
7 reviews
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