DESTINATION UNEXPECTED

Whether traveling across town to the race track, out of state to a relative's house or abroad with a group of classmates, the contemporary teens featured in this collection of 10 well-crafted stories have one thing in common: they are all profoundly changed by their choice to step beyond the boundaries of familiar territory. Accomplished writers, such as Kimberly Willis Holt and David Lubar, offer their personal slant to the journey theme here, evoking moods and settings as varied as their characters' backgrounds. Some heroes, like Joyce Sweeney's Darius Holmsby—a prizewinning writer reluctant to attend a gala in his honor—are unwilling to leave comfortable surroundings. Others, like outspoken Aly in Richard Peck's "The Kiss in the Carryon Bag," who has a brush with royalty during a "study tour" of Europe, embrace adventure with enthusiasm. Sometimes explorations turn out to be heartening and other times heartbreaking, but the protagonists always end up in a different place from where they began. Brief notes about each author provide a transition between stories so that readers (who may feel the sensation that they are on a road trip themselves) can get their bearings and mull over unexpected plot twists before heading in a new direction. Enlightening, relevant and expertly compiled by the editor of Time Capsule and No Easy Answer, this anthology will leave a lasting impression. Ages 12-up. (May)