Night of Fear

April 1, 1994
Gr 4-6-While his parents are out for the evening, T.J. takes his Alzheimer's-afflicted grandmother along on a trip to the neighbors' barn to feed their animals. There, a dangerous occupant abducts the boy, but agrees to leave the elderly woman behind. Both a murderer and an arsonist are at large in the neighborhood, and T.J. isn't certain which one is his captor. Alternating between unrealistically brave and occasionally reckless behavior, T.J. finally gets away. Both criminals are caught, and he realizes how special his grandmother is. The incidents lack plausibility, the characters are one-dimensional, and any suspense is interrupted by preaching and teaching.-Jeanette Larson, Texas State Library, Austin

February 15, 1994
Gr. 6-10. In this easy-to-read suspense novel, T.20J. is feeding his neighbor's dogs when he and Grandma Ruth (who has Alzheimer's disease) encounter a stranger hiding in the barn. Abducted and taken on the road by a man who fits the description of a bank robber wanted by the police, T. J. makes numerous unsuccessful escape attempts. Eventually, it is revealed that creepy Brody is actually a pyromaniac bent on revenge for the fiery destruction of his store during an unnamed city riot. Amid the backdrop of suburban sprawl that many teens will recognize, the conservatism of this novel shines through: T. J. is a morally superior prig ("Craig is a jerk. He has the worst foul mouth in the whole school") who is glad his mother quit work because now she has "plenty of time to bake cookies." On the other hand, the soon-to-be teen's struggle with his ambivalent feelings toward his beloved grandmother are convincing. The dust jacket painting of the villain will attract reluctant readers--and other thrill seekers--to this fast-paced adventure. ((Reviewed Feb. 15, 1994))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1994, American Library Association.)