Bowditch, Eden Unger. The Atomic Weight of Secrets.

Bowditch, Eden Unger The Atomic Weight of Secrets.
Bancroft 2011 342p 14.95 978-1-61088-006-0 ms/hs E-BN


Five brilliant children are separated from their parents and brought to an Ohio farm. They combine their experiments, plan how to rescue their parents and learn to depend on each other.
In 1903, five brilliant young inventors, all children of important famous scientists from all over the world, are taken from their familiar lives by mysterious men in black. The children end up on a farm in Dayton Ohio with a caring teacher. They combine their ideas and produce a model of a powered airplane. To hide it from the men in black, they give their plans to one child’s cousins who happen to be Orville and Wilbur Wright. The children learn to depend on each other and experience friendship. There are many questions haunting the five children. Who are the men in black? What do they want? Are they protecting the children or holding them prisoner? Where are their parents and what special project are they working on? Not all questions are answered in this first installment of a new series, even as the children are reunited with their parents.
The characters of the children are well developed. The action, mystery and questions keep the reader moving forward. An interest in science or engineering will enhance both the understanding of the work of the children and the plot.
There are some errors that hopefully will be caught before the final printing. Fantasy Theal, Joan

Whitney, Tim. Thanksgiving At the Inn.

Whitney, Tim. Thanksgiving At the Inn.
Bancroft 2009 226p 19.95 978-1-890862-64-0 jr/sr

Heath’s father suffers with alcoholism and literary rejection. To make matters worse he is suspended from school at the same time that his estranged grandfather dies. The resulting story is both heart warming and heart rendering. Heath Wellington III is between a rock and a hard place when he gets suspended from school for supposedly cheating. His father (called Junior) has suffered repeatedly from alcoholism and literary rejection since his wife left him. It is definitely not a happy family situation. His father has been estranged from his father for years because of stubbornness and pride. This presents a conflict when the grandfather dies and Heath and his father must return to the family home to settle the estate.
The grandfather (Senior) was an unusual person. He made lots of money in his lifetime, but he decided that helping others was more important than making money. When he sold his business he turned the family home into the Sleeping Inn and collected people who needed to make something of themselves. In order for Junior to inherit his father’s estate, he would have to move into the inn and run it successfully for three months keeping the residents happy and content with his management. It is a story of conflict, humor, morals to be learn, and life-changing events for Heath.
This is a well written book in which the characters are well developed. It is easy for the readers to picture: Mustang Sally who is a over muscled, over tattoo grease monkey who writes children’s books, Winstead who is a wise Jamaican and former preacher and jailbird, Mrs. Farrell who is a elderly woman giving away her late husband’s ill earned fortune to needy people, and Carter who is a TV news junkie and Harvard graduate. The interactions between residents and Heath and his father allow the reader to connect with the characters and become involved with their everyday life. It is a timeless heartwarming story that is full of life’s lessons often overlooked in today’s fast paced world. MD,LM,HW

Thrown a Curve.

Griffiths, Sara. Thrown a Curve.
Bancroft, 2007. $16.95 151p 978-890862-48-0

Fourteen-year-old Taylor Dresden, as an alternative to pressing charges for vandalism, is given the challenge by her guidance counselor to play on the high school baseball team. She learns much about herself, her friends and her family.
As a child, Taylor loved to play baseball. In fifth grade, she overheard her single father say he was embarrassed that she played better than her brother. At that point Taylor stopped playing baseball. Her freshman year in high school Taylor gets drunk and breaks some school windows. Her guidance counselor witnesses the vandalism and her accurate throws. He gives her the choice of facing the police or trying out for the boys' baseball team. Taylor relearns how much she loves the game and gradually comes to better understand her father and his actions.
Taylor is a well-developed character. The dialog and interactions with classmates ring true. The reconciliation with her father is too slick to be believed and not sufficiently developed.
This is a generally satisfying short read. It is refreshing to see a sport book with a female protagonist. TW

Case Against My Brother.

Sternberg, Libby. Case Against My Brother.
Bancroft, 2007. $19.95 205p 1-890862-51-7

An inspiring story that shows a brother’s faith in his sibling. As he tries to clear his brother of a crime 15 year old Carl is confronted with bigotry.
This is a very touching story that takes place in Portland, Oregon during 1922. It was the era after the World War when people were afraid of the spread of Bolshevism.
When their mother’s died, the two brothers go to live with an uncle in Portland Oregon. They are very poor and live very sparingly. They must work several jobs just to make ends meet. The climate of the community is anti-Catholic and anti-immigrants. This makes living very hard for the brothers. Adam, the older brother, is arrested for stealing some jewels from the family of a girl he had been seeing. It created a time of strife for Carl, the younger brother. He tried to clear his brother’s name; as well as deal with the Klu Klux Klan when they threatened their uncle in front of their house.
Even with all the strife and road blocks, the author shows how a young boy finds himself and matures. It is a historical novel that provides and insight into the culture of the time period. LM