cover image The Eagles' Child

The Eagles' Child

Barbara Ford. MacMillan Publishing Company, $12.95 (146pp) ISBN 978-0-02-735405-8

The summer brings all sorts of adventures for Amy. She's staying with her godmother, Liz, in a tiny apartment in Manhattan while her mother, a professor, is in Africa collecting folktales. Amy looks forward to being closer to her artist father, but she is appalled to discover that Liz doesn't even have a VCR. Then Liz accidentally lets Amy's pet rat loose. Events seem pretty dismal, until Amy and her new friend Matilda come up with a matchmaking scheme to fix up Amy's father and Liz. Though her debut novel focuses on the trials and tribulations of growing up, Ford has included a lesson on the value of books and a look at New York's intelligentsia. Middle grade readers will sympathize with Amy, who learns a little about life and a lot about herself. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)