Stone, Phoebe. Romeo Blue.

Stone, Phoebe.  Romeo Blue.   Scholastic Press  2013  346p  ISBN 978-0-545-44360-9  hs    VG    Historical fiction     

Flissy knows about spies.  Her parents are spies for the Allies overseas.  They left her with relatives in the United States while they carried out their missions.  Life should be quiet and peaceful, but Flissy finds herself falling in love with Derek (who has other things on his mind) and handling publishers who are interested in Bob Henley’s poetry (since he has joined the military). When Flissy’s mother unexpectedly returns home, Flissy must deal with more challenges.

Stone obviously respects and validates her young characters’ feelings and thoughts.  Much of the novel is about relationships.  Flissy discovers that her biological father is not the man married to her biological mother.  Derek is trying to forge a connection with his absentee father.  Flissy’s Aunt Mimi and the postman, Bob Henley, want to marry.  Flissy is “in love” with Derek, even though the feeling may not be reciprocated.  The emotions and relationships ring true.

Less believable is the story line in which Flissy’s parents, who are spies, carelessly leave important evidence where others may easily discover it.  Still, for readers who enjoy the exploits of adventurous girls, Romeo Blue will be an engaging, quick read.            

Summary: Growing up in a coastal town in the United States during World War II, Flissy experiences her first love, while coping with the return of her mother who has been serving as a spy overseas.  Picking up where The Romeo and Juliet Code left off, Phoebe Stone weaves in a myriad of details about everyday life during World War II in this sequel, and even more details about life in a coastal area at a time when spies were thought to be everywhere. 

Spies-Fiction, Romance-Fiction                              --Hillary Welliver

The Boy on Cinnamon Street

Stone, Phoebe.    The Boy on Cinnamon Street    Arthur Levine Bks see Scholastic Books    2012  234p  $16.99      978-0-545-21512-1           

 ms    E-BN      Conflict   

Louise is a 13-year-old girl who has recently lost both her parents and has faced bullying in her middle school, and is trying to find a place for herself in the world.      When The Boy on Cinnamon Street begins, Louise has just quit doing the one thing she loves ... gymnastics.  As we get to know her story of loss and hurt, we see the things that are motivating Louise to act as she does, losing herself in fantasies of what life should be like.  This story of a young girl coming to terms with her mother’s suicide, her father’s desertion, her victimization at school, and her own physical problems is beautifully told, layer by layer, and the reader is drawn in gradually.  It is highly recommended for middle-school children who have suffered a loss in their lives.       

E-BN Carol Kennedy         Death of a parent, Friendship, Bullying