Shooting Stars Everywhere

February 27, 2006
This quietly intriguing novel-part mystery, part coming-of-age tale-opens as Victor Forlands discovers a letter in his mailbox on his 13th birthday, with no name and no address. Inside, he finds a brief, cryptic message beginning, "the red animal is dead," signed ")x(." " Definitely not a letter from Mom," thinks narrator Victor, whose parents recently split up. His friends are away, and Victor is in for six weeks of summer vacation, cooped up in his Berlin apartment. There seems to be nothing to do but write in the journal his father gave him and try to muster the courage to jump off of the 7.5-meter platform at the community pool. But when his next-door neighbor's dog dies, Victor realizes that it could well be "the red animal" in that creepy letter. He makes a new (female) friend at the pool, and sets out to discover the identity of the anonymous letter-writer, who continues to leave mysterious missives for Victor and his neighbors. As Victor plays detective, he also matures, coming to grips with his parents' situation and learning how to be independent. Quirky details realistically portray the eccentricities of city folks living in close proximity. This novel offers American kids a glimpse into another culture and the things that are universal or unique, between the U.S. and Europe. Ages 12-up.

March 1, 2006
Gr 5-8 -Victor Forlands, 13, is spending a boring summer hanging out in the Berlin apartment he shares with his taxi-driver dad and going to the city pool. Local bullies and his own fear of jumping off the high diving platform are making him miserable. His mother, who has left the family to pursue a career, confuses him as she comes and goes in his life. When mysterious, unaddressed, unsigned messages turn up in his and his neighbors - mail and he meets a pretty girl who calls herself Deborah, things start to get interesting, and Victor decides to record his observances in a journal he received for his birthday. The death of his neighbor -s red cocker spaniel seems to be connected to words in the first sinister message: -the red animal is dead. - When details of Deborah -s troubled life come to light, it becomes clear that she is the author of the strange notes. She inspires Victor to stand up to the pool bullies and take the dive, and he arranges for a better living situation for her. The story is engrossing, if somewhat convoluted, and the characters are quirky. Victor -s interest in the stars and in numbers, as well as the diary format, provide an appealing structure, but the writing (or translation) is sometimes choppy, and readers will be disappointed that the messages, which appear to be clues and promise a mystery, are nothing more than a plea for attention." -Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 8, 2006
This quietly intriguing novel-part mystery, part coming-of-age tale-opens as Victor Forlands discovers a letter in his mailbox on his 13th birthday, with no name and no address. Inside, he finds a brief, cryptic message beginning, "the red animal is dead," signed ")x(." " Definitely not a letter from Mom," thinks narrator Victor, whose parents recently split up. His friends are away, and Victor is in for six weeks of summer vacation, cooped up in his Berlin apartment. There seems to be nothing to do but write in the journal his father gave him and try to muster the courage to jump off of the 7.5-meter platform at the community pool. But when his next-door neighbor's dog dies, Victor realizes that it could well be "the red animal" in that creepy letter. He makes a new (female) friend at the pool, and sets out to discover the identity of the anonymous letter-writer, who continues to leave mysterious missives for Victor and his neighbors. As Victor plays detective, he also matures, coming to grips with his parents' situation and learning how to be independent. Quirky details realistically portray the eccentricities of city folks living in close proximity. This novel offers American kids a glimpse into another culture and the things that are universal or unique, between the U.S. and Europe. Ages 12-up.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2006
Gr. 6-9. After 13-year-old Victor gets a journal as a birthday gift from his dad, he records the events of a sticky hot, often boring, and sometimes bizarre summer. His journal entries show a young man who has still not accepted his parents' divorce and is beginning to be attracted to girls. At the local pool, he meets an assertive, somewhat obnoxious, but fascinating girl whom he calls "D," and he gets pulled into her family troubles. Meanwhile, he tries to solve the mystery behind the enigmatic, threatening notes that he and his fellow apartment dwellers are receiving. Other subplots include the death of one cocker spaniel and the kidnapping of another, aliens, and the question of the real identity of D herself. American teens may be intrigued by the similarities and differences between themselves and European teens (the novel is set in Germany and was originally published there). It's a quirky read, with little tidbits of scientific facts; a slow, " tranche de vie "feeling; intriguing adult characters; and a story that will draw those who enjoy mysteries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)