April 15, 2010
Grades 3-5 Newbery Award winner Naylor claims that she tries to never write the same kind of book twice, and although she has written westerns before, including Walkers Crossing (1999), this could be seen as her first of the rootin-tootin variety. When her mother and the wealthy woman she works for are killed in a carriage accident, meek Emily sets out to find her loving aunt. Trouble is, the wealthy woman left a considerable fortune to Emily, and her villainous uncle Victor would sure like to get his hands on all that cash. Most of the story takes place on a stagecoach out west as Emily and fellow orphan Jackson muster all their cunning and pluck to outwit Victor, and a good deal of the appeal comes from Naylors feisty chapter cliff-hangers: What in shootin shivers would Emily do now? It all makes for a fun, bouncy ride, though one might wish for a few more of Collins scene-stealing pencil sketches. As there simply arent many westerns for young girls, this happily plugs a hole in the genre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2010
After her mother's death, Emily musters up the courage to make the stagecoach trip to her Aunt Hilda's, dodging an evil uncle and the Catchum Child Catching Services along the way. Written in a comically overblown style, this tale will keep readers turning pages to find out, "How in flippin' flapjacks will Emily outsmart Uncle Victor?"
(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)