Spell It M-U-R-D-E-R

Taking a rowboat and running away from their summer camp, where Katy had been embarrassed by the counselors and teased by the other girls, she and Andrea realize their night of fun has turned to terror when they witness a murder. Original.

Grade 5-8-When Andrea and Katy feel bullied and shunned by their peers at Camp Shagbark, they decide to run away. They steal one of the camp's rowboats and head downriver toward home, but soon become lost in the night fog. As a power boat approaches, the girls overhear two men discussing dumping bodies. Certain that they will be the next victims, they row frantically to shore and hike to town. Their anonymous tip to the police leads everyone to believe that Andrea and Katy, missing from camp, have been murdered. They must decide how to reassure their worried parents and still solve the mystery. The result is a surprising and happy ending, with a little social commentary added for good measure. Ruckman, author of The Night of the Twisters (1984) and No Way Out (1988, both Crowell), is a master at setting mood and plot, and this book is no exception. Perfect light summer fare.
Julie Halverstadt, Douglas Public Library District, Castle Rock, CO
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 4-6. Summer camp can be murder, especially if the older girls have it in for you and the camp director is a tyrant. But Katy and Andrea never dream they'll run into a real murderer when they stage a daring, middle-of-the-night escape. While crossing the lake in a borrowed rowboat, they hear two men arguing and the sound of a body being dumped in the water. Hidden by fog, they manage to get away without being seen and make their way home to Elkins, where they leave the sheriff a note about the murder. Their adventure turns into a nightmare, however, when they learn that they've been reported missing from camp and that the police are dredging the lake for their bodies. A completely plausible mystery with likable characters who behave (and sound) like real kids, this easy-to-read adventure will be just right for summer reading. Chris Sherman