In 1963, 11-year-old Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman's mother is crowned the Bosetti Beauty at Mr. Bosetti's supermarket, President John F. Kennedy is assassinated, and the Dingman family begins to fall apart. So begins this richly woven novel by the Newbery Honoree. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

"Martin, who explored with such insight the themes of ostracism and family conflict in Belle Teal and A Corner of the Universe, affectingly reexamines them in this third novel set in the 1960s," PW said of this tale in which a girl's mother abandons the family to pursue a career as an actress. Ages 10-14. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 4-7-Eleven-year old Eleanor "Ellie" Roosevelt Dingman is barely keeping her family intact in this novel by Ann M. Martin (Scholastic, 2004). Set in 1963 in the small town of Spectacle, NY, Ellie's mother, Doris Day Dingman, is completely self-absorbed, almost to the point of neglecting her three children. Doris, as the children are required to call her, would much rather be a model or a famous movie star than a mother, and finally abandons her family to move to New York City in order to pursue her dreams. Ellie assumes full responsibility for caring for her younger siblings and the household since her father works long hours. These burdens eventually put too much pressure on Ellie, especially when she is also trying to deal with her own troubles of bullies at school, random acts of prejudice against her neighbors, and sadness over the assassination of President Kennedy. By the novel's end, Ellie learns that her family, her neighborhood, and her friends do not have to look like everyone else's in order to be acceptable. Tony Award-winner Judy Kaye narrates the audiobook masterfully with a range of voices suited to each of the many characters and their personalities. Listeners will be captivated by this family saga which unfolds at a perfect pace and with a tone that matches the poignancy of the plot. Sure to be popular with girls in their tweens, this is a good choice for school and public libraries.-Casey Rondini, Hartford Public Library, CT Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 5-7. In 1963 Ellie's mother, Doris Day Dingman, was crowned the Bosetti Beauty at Mr. Bosetti's supermarket. This opening line sets the tone for Martin's sharp, tender story, told from the viewpoint of Ellie, 11, who is caught between love, shame, and fury when her self-obsessed mother eventually leaves their small-town home to search for stardom in New York. The Dingmans live on Witch Tree Lane with a knot of outcasts like themselves, and Ellie and her neighbor and best friend, Holly, are cruelly bullied at school, just as hate crimes threaten the adults on the street. There's also a strong sense of the times, including the furor when Kennedy is shot. There may be too much going on for one novel, but as in her Newbery Honor Book, A Corner of the Universe (2002), Martin takes on themes more common in YA fiction, bringing them close for middle-grade readers without oversimplifying any of the characters. The family story is unforgettable. The quiet surprise is that Doris may think she is the center of attention, but it's really Dad, who is beautifully drawn as he moves from the background to take charge of his kids and find home on his street. Like Ellie, he must let Doris go. --Hazel Rochman Copyright 2004 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.