The author of the Fabulous Five series returns to the mystery genre with the story of Ashlyn Brennan, 16, only child of wealthy Florida parents whose frequent absences have resulted in her attachment to understanding high school guidance counselor Mrs. Rothlis. When Mrs. Rothlis is found murdered the evidence points to Ashlyn's troubled, drug-addicted boyfriend, Drew. The discovery of a death certificate with Ashlyn's name on it, hidden behind a keepsake left her by Mrs. Rothlis, causes her to change her focus to learning her own true identity, the motive for the murder, and the real killer. Readers will quickly guess that Ashlyn is actually Heather Rothlis, kidnapped daughter of the murdered woman, and also who the murderer is. While all this is engrossing, it's far too contrived. Drew's suggested schizophrenia is gratuitous and poorly developed; the villain is coldblooded and calculating beyond belief; and the attitude of Ashlyn/Heather's real grandparents is equally implausible. (Fiction. 12-16)
Pub Date: June 1, 1994
ISBN: 0-385-32067-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1994
Reading like a long term paper, this dry, abstract recitation of teams and players brings neither the game nor the people who played and are playing it to life. McKissack (with Patricia C. McKissack, Black Diamond, 1994, not reviewed, etc.) opens with a chapter on basketball’s invention and original rules, closes with a look at women’s basketball, and in between chronicles the growth of amateur, college, and pro ball, adding clipped quotes, technical observations about changing styles of play and vague comments about how players black and white respected each other. The information is evidently drawn entirely from previously published books and interviews. A modest selection of black-and-white photographs give faces to some of the many names the author drops, but readers won’t find much more about individual players beyond an occasional biographical or statistical tidbit. McKissack frequently points to parallels in the history of African Americans in basketball and in baseball, but this account comes off as sketchy and unfocused compared to Black Diamond. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-48712-4
Page Count: 148
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An unusual, coach's-eye view of small, shy Evelyn Ashford, the dominant sprinter of the late 70's and early 80's. Despite the sometimes awkward prose (``Eugene was a dangerous place for anyone who was allergic to the numerous pollens in the air''), Connolly has a gift for making even the most routine workouts sound intriguing and gives a clear idea of a coach's multiple roles: not just physical and psychological conditioner but parent, buddy, even business manager. Herself a former Olympian, Connolly describes her innovative training techniques in general terms, plus giving many instances of sexism, racism, and financial irregularity in the world of ``amateur'' track and field; she also takes a passionate stand against drugs and steroids. Ashford comes across as rather passive and biddable off the track but totally different in competition: a day after miscarrying, she won an important race and later (1984) earned a gold medal despite a massively torn muscle. Ashford and Connolly severed formal ties after those games; aside from a very short epilogue, that's where this frank, engaging book ends. (Biography. 13-16)
Pub Date: May 15, 1991
ISBN: 0-06-021282-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1991
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