BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ESSENTIAL
KID APPEAL: HIGH
Living in Washington DC at the beginning of the cold war, 14yo Richard is not looking forward to his 1st year in high school. A loner at school - his former best friend is now his bully; so, Richard plans to spend his summer reading. But then he meets Vladimir, the son of a American and Czechoslovakian, and they become fast friends. They have a lot in common, both boys have dads who work for the government, and they have similar reading interests, although some of Vlad's books are controversial. But when Richard feels suspicious of some of the talk by some friends of Vlad's mother, Richard tells his dad, an FBI agent.
Each chapter is introduced with photographs and descriptions to put that month in context. Brief and interesting, it supplies just enough background knowledge. Richard's dad suffers from PTSD from the war (not recognized as such yet) and his intensity is sometimes over the top, but the characters ring true and the plot is gripping. This is an incredible book about a short but important chapter of our country's history.
Lisa Librarian
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