Michigan Alumnus, January/February 1988: This story, written in the first person, is a delightful portrait of the difficult year experienced by Sarah, an appealing fourth grader. Her mother, an artist, takes Sarah away from her father and home in New York City to a small Kentucky town to complete illustrations for a book. Sarah tries to adjust to small-town living, a new school, and new friends while worrying whether her mother intends to go back to her father when she finishes her illustration assignment. Stiles has a good ear for dialogue and Sarah’s wry remarks about the people she meets and the events in which she becomes involved make this book lively and fun to read. Stiles, who lives in Paris, KY, is a Hopwood Award recipient who has written a number of books for children, one of which–Darkness Over the Land–was an ALA Notable Book. copyright © Michigan Alumnus 1988