Bravo Zulu, Samantha!

June 1, 2007
Gr 4-6-Samantha, 12, is unhappy about spending her summer with her grandparents rather than at home. Grandma is nice but works part-time, which means that Samantha will be stuck with her crabby grandfather, a retired military pilot. She quickly figures out that the Colonel is acting weirder and more antisocial than usual. They have an awkward relationship as he is obsessed with planes and aeronautical facts while she is more of a Guinness Book of World Records kind of a gal. Eventually, with the help of local cutie Billy, Sam discovers her grandfather's amazing secret. The aviation history and trivia facts are fun, but the story moves somewhat slowly until the end, and there is a detached quality to the narration. However, the excitement of the denouement compensates a bit. This is a supplemental choice that might be appealing to reluctant readers interested in the science and craft of airplanes."B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2007
Affectionate stories about grumpy grandpas are in vogue. As in Pamela Ehrenbergs Ethan, Suspended (2007), the 12-year-old kid in this novel is bitterly resentful when shes forced to spend time with her moms parents, only to end up feeling respect and enduring connection. Samanthas grandfather (the Colonel) has become angry and rude since the Air Force pushed him into retirement, and Samantha senses that he is up to something. Suspense builds as she follows him; then she must decide whether to snitch on his secret project or help him with itif he will let her. The angry arguments make for great dialogue. Duble moves from the historical fiction of her previous novel (The Sacrifice, 2005) to a wry, contemporary story with lots of technology. Aviation fans will recognize the first two words of the title as part of the FAAs list of code words, and readers will also enjoy Samanthas obsession with bizarre facts from The Guinness Book of World Records.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)