When Stars Begin to

Older boys come to visit Harry's older sister Helen, knowing she'll let them ""use'' her. It makes Harry angry, but he knows he can't do anything about it. In Timber Falls, people think his father is a thief and the whole White family is ``trash.'' Harry tries to overcome the label by being neat and well-behaved. Nothing works until he discovers that a factory is polluting the river. He's sure that if he exposes it, people will finally show him respect. But even those who know about the factory won't help Harry, and he learns the harshest fact of allthat only if he leaves Timber Falls will he get a chance to succeed. The compassion found in Collier's award-winning historical fiction carries this story through the betrayals and terrible truths of Harry's life. Readers will be angered by Harry's treatment at the hands of others, as well as enlightened by his intelligence, which comes shining through. (12-up)