The Winchesters

From the author of Outside Looking In , among other notable titles, comes this story of a Massachusetts mill town, in which the mill's wealthy owners, the Winchesters, often face off with the rest of the town. On the less-affluent side of the family is Chris Winchester, 12. Because he lives in the gatehouse and attends the local school, he has always thought he belonged more to the town than to the Winchesters; Chris's girlfriend, Marie, is the daughter of an Italian grocer and his best friend, Teddy, is the son of a Greek millworker. Ernest, the Winchester heir, chases some local kids out of the estate pond, and Chris learns about an impending union strike. Suddenly he finds himself in the dangerous middle ground between the town's workers (and his friends' parents) and his own family. When the resentment of the townspeople boils over, Chris must decide for himself what he wants from his life. The larger issue, of big business vs. the little man who just wants to feed loved ones, is a familiar theme; in the end there are no surprisesChris will be the Winchester who works honestly for his family. It's all very pat, and Chris is not real enough to make this disappointing effort work. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)