Fourteen years old and recently orphaned, Bonnie goes to live with her mother's family. She finds that this warm, loving group of ladies has been forced to take in gentleman boarders and, although they are crusaders for women's rights, they can't seem to manage the household. In a story that "School Library Journal" calls "delectably humorous", Bonnie adjusts to all the upheavals and conflicts among the boarders, one of whom she finds most appealing. HC: Houghton Mifflin. Copyright #169; Libri GmbH. All rights reserved. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Graduates of the American Girls series who are looking for a slightly more sophisticated read may find what they seek in this period novel about a recently orphaned 14-year-old. There are plenty of surprises in store for Bonnie when, in the year 1918, she moves into her elderly cousins' boardinghouse in Seattle. The clashing personalities of roomers plus numerous household crises-cooks quitting on the spur of the moment, estranged spouses popping up unexpectedly, debts accruing at an alarming rate-create a series of conflicts nobly endured by gracious Cousin Audra and feminist Cousin Winnie, who are both frustratingly helpless at running a business. Although themes remain somewhat unfocused, the backdrop of labor strikes and flu epidemics offer a dramatic portrayal of American life just after WWI. Bonnie's personal dilemmas tend to get lost in the flurry of activity around her, yet the events that she witnesses provide some food for thought. Ages 10-14. Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 3-5--A teacher narrator lovingly recalls the fate of Roxanne, a talented young girl from a mountain village who is best known for raising a bear cub and bringing notoriety and wealth to her gruff grandfather. When a film crew comes to town to put together its own music video version of the Pied Piper using Roxanne and the bear, the appeal of fame and seeing the world lures the girl away. The next day the bear dies. The storyteller says, "There's a lesson to be learned, if one just listens to my tale." This tightly constructed short story has a gentle tone, but is likely to appeal more to adults, who will relate to the elderly narrator and his style, than to children. Charcoal illustrations are soft and blurred, spare and yet suggestive enough to assist readers in visualizing additional details in order to keep the story in mind.Kathy East, Wood County District Public Library, OH Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 7-10. Like much of Thesman's fiction, this is about a community of strong women across generations. In 1914 in Seattle, 14-year-old orphan Bonnie moves to the boardinghouse of her independent-minded female relatives and becomes involved with the people who live and work there. The panorama is broad, with lots of people coming and going. The focus is on the events of the times, including the end of World War I, the flu epidemic, the labor riots, the start of Prohibition, and, above all, the struggle for women's rights. Bonnie's great-aunts are well educated and progressive; there's no doubt that Bonnie also will go on to college. Thesman has a lot of fun in showing that these "independent" ladies can't even light the stove. She also dramatizes the sadness of class differences. Some of the men are caricatures, but Bonnie's most poignant relationship is with a sarcastic, clever young lodger, blinded in the war, whose love pushes Bonnie to study further and leave him. (Reviewed May 1, 1996)0395742781Hazel Rochman From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.