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BOOK REVIEWS
HIGH SCHOOL FICTION
★
Backwater, by Joan Bauer. LCCN
98050729. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons,
Penguin Putnam, 1999. ISBN
0399231412, HBB, $16.99.
F. Genealogy--Fiction; Aunts--Fiction; Lawyers--
Fiction; Birds--Fiction; Survival--Fiction; Hermits--
Fiction. 185 p. High school (Middle school).
Sixteen-year-old Ivy is determined to be an
historian, contrary to her dad’s promptings that
she follow in his legal tracks. To relatives who
take pride in producing consecutive generations
of lawyers, Ivy’s quiet, methodical ways appear
rebellious. Yet, she is encouraged by the
memory of her mother, who died of cancer when
she was very young, leaving Ivy with an
appreciation of people and their roots.
At the annual holiday reunion, a competition
ensues between Ivy and her aggressive Aunt
Fiona over recording the Breedlove family
history. Ivy is convinced that true character only
appears through taking time to listen and record
individual personalities. Aunt Fiona, widely
known for her time management successes,
prefers video clips of rehearsed speeches and
views Ivy as unreasonable. Many of her
relatives liken Ivy to her eccentric Aunt
Josephine, who cut family ties and ran off
several years before.
One day, Ivy encounters a crazy neighbor who
informs her that her Aunt Jo lives deep in the
nearby Adirondack Mountains. With the
encouragement of a motherly aunt, the help of
an eccentric tracker named Mountain Mama,
and a handsome student ranger, Ivy locates her
estranged aunt and her birds. Aunt Jo reveals a
side of the Breedloves Ivy had never known. As
the quiet beauty of the place begins to grow on
her, disaster strikes, and Ivy must rescue her
injured aunt from the icy jaws of death.
Backwater, by Joan Bauer, is a coming of age
portrait of a young girl who, through adversity,
finds value in herself and others. Ivy’s
approachable characteristics draw the reader
into her adventures. Though not specifically
Christian fiction, this story exudes solid morals
and values. Main characters are well sketched.
Writing style and point of view are consistent
and exquisitely crafted.
Kim Harris, Librarian, Newman Riga Library, Churchville, New
York
Cabs, cameras, and catastrophes, by
Wendy Lee Nentwig. (Unmistakably
Cooper Ellis; 4.) LCCN 00008334.
Minneapolis: Bethany House, 2000. ISBN
0764220683, PAP, $5.99.
F. High schools--Fiction; Schools--Fiction; Models
(Persons)--Fiction; New York (N.Y.)--Fiction;
Christian life--Fiction. 143 p. High school.
In author Wendy Lee Nentwig’s fourth book in
the Cooper Ellis series, Cabs, Cameras, and
Catastrophes, Cooper still has feelings for her
former boyfriend, Josh, and embarks on a
campaign to re-establish a relationship with him.
Encouraged by her friends, Claire and Alex,
Cooper makes attempts to restore a connection
with Josh. This plan becomes muddled when
she agrees to go out with another fellow. When
he sees Cooper dating other people, Josh
eventually begins seeing another girl.
Cooper comes to realize she must trust God in
the situation with Josh. This same trust in God
is tested in her modelling jobs, when Cooper is
confronted with skimpy clothing that she must
model. During all this mayhem, Cooper also
discovers that her best friend Claire is forced to
deal with the painful issues of divorce. Once
again, Cooper turns to God for comfort, support,
and the wisdom to know how to support Claire
during the difficult time of divorce.
Throughout the book, Nentwig weaves
Christian ideals and morals into her plot. This
book will catch the eye and hold the interest of
most young girls, since it deals with relevant
topics that pertain to them, such as break-ups,
boyfriends, and botched relationships. The
main character shows a strong dependence and
faith in God, which can only help reinforce the
importance of personal relationships with God
among the readers.
Eileen Zygarlicke, Freelance Writer/Editor, Grand Forks, North
Dakota
★
Diary of a teenage girl, by Melody
Carlson. LCCN 00009655. Sisters, Ore.:
Multnomah Publishers, 2000. ISBN
1576737357, PAP, $12.99.
F. Diaries--Fiction; Self-perception--Fiction;
Interpersonal relations--Fiction; Christian life--Fiction;
High schools--Fiction; Schools--Fiction. 248 p. High
school.
Diary of a Teenage Girl, by Melody Carlson,
provides a candid look at a sixteen-year-old’s
life as she begins to question who she is and
what she believes. The comfortable friendship
she has with her longtime friend, Beanie, is put
on the shelf when Caitlin finds herself accepted
into the popular crowd at high school. Suddenly
what Caitlin had only dreamed about becomes a
reality; yet the popularity she experiences
doesn’t fill her emptiness, and in fact increases
her anxieties. Raised in the church, Caitlin
begins to question her beliefs, particularly her
parents’ beliefs, especially when she discovers
her father is possibly having an affair.
Another first-person account, Someone Like
You, by Sarah Dessen—an ALA Best Book for
Young Adults—covers much of the same
territory as Carlson’s Diary does. However,
even though Halley, the main character in
Someone, comes to much the same conclusions
as Caitlin, there is not the same heartfelt hope as
is felt by Diary’s end. The difference? Jesus.
Without being pretentious, Carlson shows how
Jesus fills the empty places in our lives.
Difficult subjects like infidelity, dating,
abstinence, partying, and teen pregnancy are
addressed from a point of view within the
Christian circle of standards. Nonetheless,
Carlson still addresses the roller-coaster life of a
teen girl with down-to-earth authenticity and
satisfaction. She makes it clear that even good
Christian kids can take a tumble off the path at
times. Her point is: are they willing to get back
on it when God stretches out His hand in gentle
correction and forgiveness?
Pam Webb, Library Technician, Sandpoint, Idaho
Elephant tears : mask of the elephant, by
Richard Trout. (MacGregor family
adventures; 2.) LCCN 00036223. San
Antonio, Tex.: , LangMarc Publishing,
2000. ISBN 1880292726, PAP, $9.95.
F. Elephants--Fiction; Poaching--Fiction; Wildlife
rescue--Fiction; Adventure and adventurers--Fiction;
Kenya--Fiction. 241 p. High school.
The MacGregor family consists of Dr. Jack, Dr.
Mavis, seventeen-year-oldChris, fourteen-yearold
Heather, and twelve-year-old R.O. The
teens are reminiscent of Nancy Drew and the
Hardy Boys, in that they are constantly
happening upon exciting adventures that
ultimately lead to their solving a crime. In this
particular situation, the crime is that of poaching
elephants, lions, and various other African
animals.
Chris, Heather, and their Kukuyu friend,
fourteen-year-old Rebecca, find themselves
stranded in the wilds of Africa where baboons
infiltrate their camp. They must also confront
the beginning of the rainy season, which entails
several severe thunderstorms, charging lions,
and being imprisoned by poachers. And these
are only a few of the mishaps that occur during
this fascinating tale.
The details that are included in this story are so
appalling that the reader becomes very aware of
the plight of animals that are in danger of being
killed by poachers just for their tusks, skins, and
feet. Author Richard Trout is an environmental
biologist and a college professor, and has done
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