Starred Review Award-winning author Kephart brings her trademark lush, lyrical prose to her first middle-grade novel. As her mother begins cancer treatment, 13-year-old Lizzie jumps at the opportunity to spend the summer with her mom's estranged brother, Davy, in the refurbished schoolhouse he calls home in the Adirondacks. Lizzie treasures the time she spends not only with Davy but also his neighbor Matias, an immigrant from El Salvador with proportionate dwarfism. But when Matias fails to meet up with Lizzie one afternoon, it quickly becomes clear that not all is well ere's been a prison break nearby, and the authorities believe Matias has been kidnapped. Lizzie takes it upon herself to find him. With urgency embedded in every paragraph, Kephart's latest brims with deep characterizations and evocative settings. In a direct address to the reader early on, Lizzie shares that what follows is a victim impact statement. Her narration weaves forward and back, illuminating past actions that shade current experiences, and widening the lens of the story to include the escaped convicts and their outside-world accomplice. While Lizzie may seem at times preternaturally wise, the connections drawn as she examines motives from various parties are thought-provoking. By turns a mystery, a thriller, and an adventure, this richly woven story will provide much for readers to tease apart long after it's finished. Hand to fans of Karen Rivers and Lauren Wolk.

This is a victim impact statement.

Lizzie-s mom has been diagnosed with cancer and needs treatment, and she asks her 13-year-old daughter where she wants to spend the summer. Lizzie chooses to be with her uncle Davy at his renovated schoolhouse cabin in the Adirondacks. Despite her worry over her mother, she is excited to spend time with Uncle Davy, a television star who specializes in antiques, and her friend Matias, an El Salvadoran boy who suffers from proportionate dwarfism and paints beautiful watercolors. Addressing a mysterious listener directly, Lizzie relates the unexpected events that unfold: the kidnapping of her friend and uncle by two convicts escaped from the nearby prison, the steps Lizzie takes to rescue them, and the terrible aftermath of the crime. Lizzie is an honest, heroic character who is fascinated by biology and the world around her. Kephart-s novel features passages told in stirring poetic language and with a sophisticated, descriptive tone: -The shadows between the trees beyond the lake are not always bears or wolves or rats or snakes. The end of the world isn-t always the end.- Lizzie-s story of friendship and family is also one of literary depth; readers will be entranced by this exceptional offering from National Book Award-finalist Kephart. Ages 10-14. Agent: Danielle Smith, Red Fox Literary. (June)

Gr 5-8 When told to choose her summer adventure, Lizzie chooses her favorite place in the worldher Uncle Davy's mountain cabin and time with her best friend Matias. She would rather stay home with her mother, but her mother's cancer diagnosis and treatments means she really needs to be away for the summer. Everything begins as usualcooking with her uncle, who works as a celebrity antiques dealer, and enjoying picnics and long conversations with Matias, who has a rare condition that causes a form of dwarfism. Then the unexpected happens. Two prisoners escape from a nearby facility and kidnap Matias. When Lizzie finds her friend missing and only one of his canes, she sets out to find him. Her worried uncle goes in search of Lizzie and Matias and soon, he too disappears. Told as a victim's impact statement, Lizzie's conversational tone to an unknown listener whose identity we discover near the end of the book relates her actions, her emotions, and her anger about what happened. Lizzie is articulate and gutsy. Kephart is at her best in this fast-paced yet introspective novel for younger tweens and teens. VERDICT While the victim impact statement format may take a few chapters for readers to get used to, the superb writing and strong plot make this one a winner. Janet Hilbun, University of North Texas, Denton