From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-In Heaven, the appalling conditions of the New York City sweatshops at the turn of the 20th century and the plight of young immigrant girls come to life as 14-year-old Gina Petrosino struggles with her sense of familial duty and her strong desires to further her education. Gina is an appealing protagonist, frustrated with the limited choices open to her and wanting independence while remaining part of the strict Italian family that she loves. Similarly, in Stars, 18-year-old Liz Erickson struggles for independence and career options in 1942, when women fought the war as well as societal attitudes. Expected to be polite and pretty, Liz prefers to fly airplanes. She is trying to cope with her pilot mother's mysterious death two years earlier, and has recently learned that someone has been sabotaging the Women's Airforce Service Pilots military program. Fascinating facts, exciting descriptions of flying, and a courageous main character contrast sharply with the stilted dialogue that imparts information but sounds nothing like realistic conversation. Despite the Nancy Drew-like prose, the story is compelling. Zeinert includes an excellent historical afterword, complete with photos of the main training facility.
Linda Bindner, formerly at Athens Clarke County Library, GA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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