Publicized as the first in a series of mysteries featuring Bianca Balducci, 15-year-old high-school sleuth, this effort from first-time novelist Sternberg should satisfy mystery lovers, though it will likely annoy forward-thinking young women. High-school sophomore Bianca confines most of her attention to attracting Doug, whom she hopes will become her first official boyfriend, until Sadie Sinclair suddenly arrives in her school. Sadie exudes mystery. She dresses like an extrovert, yet appears to be shy, and is pitifully happy when Bianca and the other girls accept her as a friend. She’s supposed to be only 15, yet she drives a car. Consumed with curiosity about Sadie and with hero-worship of her older sister Connie, a private detective, Bianca decides to investigate the strange new girl. What she discovers puts herself and Sadie into serious trouble, as well as continually interfering with Bianca and Doug’s romantic progress. While Sternberg emphasizes mystery and action elements, she doesn’t ignore deeper issues. She portrays Bianca as someone who genuinely cares about Sadie even while digging into Sadie’s past, rationalizing her actions with the idea the she’s really helping the girl. Too much moralizing at the end helps to tidy up Bianca’s growth experience, but the emphasis remains on mystery and suspense. It’s an extra entertainment for mystery fans, one for those who want a puzzle without a ghost or a murder and who don’t mind the retro girl stuff. (Fiction. 12-16)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2003
ISBN: 1-890862-23-1
Page Count: 190
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2002
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Sixteen new, wonderfully diverse takes on the ``Dream Time,'' all by authors who have been honored by the Australian Book Council. The borders of reality shift here to reveal figures from the past (Gillian Rubenstein's ``Dolphin Dreaming'') or future (Lee Harding's ``Night of Passage''), spirits angelic (``Silent Reporter,'' by Frank Willmott) or otherwise (Victor Kelleher's ``River Serpent''), and, most of all, the power of dreams (John Marsden's ``Dreamer''; Emily Rodda's ``Zelda''). Change is another common theme: growing up, losing traditions (Christobel Mattingley and Thurley Fowler contribute angry stories about the latter), or trying to recapture the past. Patricia Wrightson's bittersweet ``You Can't Keep a Unicorn'' and Mary Steele's hilarious ``Aunt Millicent'' (about a very real, yet imaginary, relative) cap this uncommonly rich collection. (Short Stories. 12-15)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-395-57434-X
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1991
This technical, comprehensive entry in the Dangerous Weather series explores the mystery of rain and what happens when it does not come. Allaby (Tornadoes, p. 1384) first defines drought before discussing the reasons for and results of long periods without rain. Readers will gain a clear understanding of scientific terms that are in use, about air movements in the tropics and subtropics, subtropical deserts, desert life, precipitation, evaporation, ocean currents, jet streams, blocking highs, and more. As with the previous book, it may not interest general readers, but it will make research a breeze and may inspire further inquiries into the subject of droughts and water conservation. (b&w photos, drawings, illustrations, charts, graphs, index, not seen) (Nonfiction. 12-14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1997
ISBN: 0-8160-3519-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Facts On File
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1997
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