Vision Quest

Kate and her mom have moved to Argentum, Nev., once a prosperous silver-mining town but now a quiet backwater where Kate feels lonely and alienated. When an unpleasant red-haired man tries to sell Mrs. Elliot some Indian artifacts for the museum, he leaves behind a smooth black cylindrical stone with a carved spiral around it. Kate returns it to him but then feels a sense of loss. She starts to dream about the stone, and experiences dislocations of time where she sees a strange Indian boy. In the other time, young Wadat is learning from Wizu how to be a shaman, and carves his own spirit stone. Wadat, like Kate, sees strange visions, but his are of a pale white girl. After Kate accidentally finds another spirit stone up in the hills, she enlists Jimmy, a Chinese-American schoolmate determined to become an archeologist, to help her learn something about the stones; together they foil a drug-trafficking gang (led by the red-haired man) and lay to rest an ancient shaman's spirit. This fast-moving tale conveys a love of history and Native American lore that may inspire many readers to discover more about the Indians of the Southwest. Service skillfully blends the supernatural elements with the more realistic facets of the story. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)