hillaryvillagers

The Cloud Chamber

Joyce Maynard

It was 1966 in Lonetree, Montana. The Chance’s Dairy Farm was home to 14-year-old Nate, his younger sister Junie, and their parents Carl and Helen. One February day their world was turned upside-down. As the school bus dropped Nate and Junie off at home, they witnessed their bleeding father being led to an ambulance. Helen and the children found themselves in the middle of a police investigation as to whether Carl’s gunshot wound to his head was self-inflicted, or did Helen shoot him? With the rifle missing, would this mystery ever be solved? To make matters worse, the family was shunned by their friends and neighbors. The science fair was fast-approaching and Nate needed a partner to assist him with building a cloud chamber. Since his best friend Larry chose another partner, Nate was left to pair-up with the other class outcast, Naomi. The family’s lack of conversation about his father’s tragedy stirred up feelings of frustration, anger and despair in Nate. Nate and Junie missed their father terribly and took desperate measures to visit him. And when they finally reached their dad at the mental hospital… This story is sure to evoke feelings of compassion for the Chance family, and will hold the reader’s interest until the very last word. Joyce Maynard has included information on building a cloud chamber under Acknowledgments.

BIBLIO: 2005, Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, Ages 11 to 14, $16.95.

REVIEWER: Mary Jo Edwards

FORMAT: Young Adult

ISBN: 0-689-87152-X

ISBN: 0-689-04328-7

ISBN: 0-689-04484-4

www.childrenslit.com

This was my first book review. I think I've improved since this one.

YES MJ YOU HAVE GOTTEN MUCH BETTER SINCE YOUR 1ST ONE! But this one is not bad.

Love

Teri

MJ, this is a great review, like all your other reviews.  You're a great book reviewer!