Grade 4-6–Jillian, 11, is forced to adjust to major changes in her life after the death of her father and her mother's marriage to a New York publishing executive. She leaves her quiet Pennsylvania suburb for an apartment in the historic Dakota on Central Park West and inherits an unfriendly stepsister. While cat-sitting for an elderly neighbor, Jillian and Emily, a new friend, make themselves at home by going through the woman's closet and personal items. They make a game of watching people in the apartment building across the street and devising stories about them. When they see a lonely boy in an empty room, they imagine he's being held prisoner. Then they hear about the kidnapping of a local politician's son on the evening news. Readers will appreciate the humorous situations that Jillian encounters at summer art camp and in a posh grocery store. However, it's difficult to accept the irresponsibility of some of the adults: the bus driver lies for Jillian so that she can skip camp, and a doorman helps the girls sneak past building security. When the confrontation with the kidnapper becomes violent, the kids decide to handle the matter on their own and keep everything a secret from parents and the police. The book has a great premise, but the plot wraps up too quickly and a narrow focus keeps real-life issues such as trust and friendship from being developed.–Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OH
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From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. After her mother marries a publishing tycoon, 11-year-old Jillian suddenly finds herself in NYC, in his apartment in the Dakota. Naturally, Jillian isn't thrilled with the changes, but sharing a bedroom with her new stepsister, Mariella, is the worst. Things become more palatable, however, after she gets a job cat sitting, and meets a new friend, Emily. While ditching summer camp, the girls have a Rear Window moment when they spy a boy in the building across the street who might be a prisoner. There's virtually no backstory here, and that fosters niggling questions--among them, Would there have been a wedding before Jillian's mother meets Mariella? Moreover, the plot is coincidence heavy and so unbelievable in places that it's distracting: the boy in the apartment has been kidnapped, but Jillian won't call the police, because she's afraid her mother will find out she's been skipping camp! That's a lot to overcome, but the snappy pace and Jillian's breezy yet age-appropriate voice make up for many missteps. The clever cover art sets up the humor. Ilene Cooper
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