A crisp rap beat, an intriguing, intergenerational cast of characters, and the zaniness of events make this story of fourteen-year-old Mouse and his friends a very upbeat adventure.

In rhythmic vernacular, the Newbery Honor author brings to life the summer misadventures of a 14-year-old Harlem youth. Ages 10-14. (May)

Gr 6-10-- A novel written with a light touch, blending inner-city adventure with family and peer relationships. Diminutive Frederick, 14 and known as the Mouse, punctuates his tale of the search for hidden 1930s gangland treasure with rap verses and phrases. Mouse and his friends are intrigued by a local TV news broadcast that reveals the possiblity of nearby hidden treasure that was amassed by an Al Capone contemporary, Tiger Moran. Mouse discovers that his friend Sheri's grandfather and the still-living Sudden Sam once worked for Tiger Moran and have a vague recollection of the money's whereabouts. Through a mock bank robbery, the old timers and the teenagers find the $50,000 in an abandoned building. When he is not searching for treasure, Mouse is sorting out his feelings for his once estranged father, his amorous, unpredictable girlfriend, and his sometimes aloof friend, Styx. Myers' style is sure to win readers, as is his story about quick-thinking, fast-talking Mouse, whose banter reveals both independence and vulnerability. An upbeat, entertaining tale. --Gerry Larson, Chewning Junior High School, Durham, NC