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THE SWAP

Name: THE SWAP
Author: George Layton
ISBN: 0-399-23148-X

by George Layton ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 22, 1997

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The schoolyard adventures of Arthur, 11, set against the background of northern England in the 1950s, form the anecdotal plot of this charming novel. Each chapter or cluster of chapters tells a story about Arthur and the rough-and-tumble boys at the strict school he attends; the narrative is held together by one plot thread, the ``swap'' of the title, which occurs in the final two chapters. Arthur, a sensitive boy with a feisty exterior, and his spirited single mother are likable, and his pals are certainly varied: tough-talking Norbert, who is beaten by his father, and William, a Jewish boy of Austrian descent. Arthur learns to act according to his conscience by befriending William, and helps Norbert lie to escape his father's brutal wrath. During his stay with an affluent family whose son is staying with Arthur's mother (the swap), he realizes just how much he cherishes her, and behaves accordingly. In Arthur, readers can acknowledge their own weaknesses, be reassured by their convictions, and witness the redemptive powers of humanity. (Fiction. 10-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 22, 1997

ISBN: 0-399-23148-X

Page Count: 164

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1997

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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THE EDGE

by Ben Bo ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 5, 1999

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A melodramatic tale of a young snowboarder with terrifically bad judgement. First, Declan worms his way into the “Urban Xtreme Team,” a gang of Vancouver graffitists; then, when they perish in a self-started fire and he opts for a six-week rehabilitation stint in the mountains, he responds to the jeers of a rival by nearly killing himself three times, snowboarding down slopes that are beyond his ability. The third time is actually a suicide attempt, but in surviving it, he ends up straightening himself out. Declan picks up the rudiments of snowboarding with convenient ease, the cast is composed of types, and readers unfamiliar with the sport may stumble over the jargon; still, for solid vicarious entertainment, the plot is comprised of nonstop wild rides, avalanches, and wipe-outs. (Fiction. 10-12)

Pub Date: Oct. 5, 1999

ISBN: 0-8225-3307-3

Page Count: 138

Publisher: Lerner

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1999

Categories:

TEENS & YOUNG ADULT FICTION | TEENS & YOUNG ADULT SOCIAL THEMES

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THE PRIVATE THOUGHTS OF AMELIA E. RYE

by Bonnie Shimko ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2010

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Despite Amelia E. Rye’s confession that, “I’m a very good liar. I curse, too,” she comes clean to readers in her “personal memoir,” in which she relates the difficulties of living with her bad-tempered mother, who was pushing 50 when Amelia was born. Mrs. Rye is too worn-out to muster any motherly feelings for her daughter. She forces Amelia to wear hand-me-downs that are decades out of fashion, causing the friendless girl to become the brunt of cruel pranks. Everything changes the day Fancy walks into Amelia’s fourth-grade class. New to the upstate New York town, the friendly African-American girl offers friendship and acceptance, the very things Amelia has been hankering for. The story moves quickly, and in its four-year span Amelia learns the truth about her dysfunctional family’s unhappy past. The 1960s-era setting is mostly irrelevant to the plot, the racial tension is unconvincing and Amelia’s observations are too often wise beyond her years. What propels this otherwise undistinguished coming-of-age story forward is the strong bond of friendship that deepens over time between Amelia and Fancy. (Historical fiction. 10-12)