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Librarian’s Review of Publisher’s Advance Copy Date: July 15, 2015 Author: Summy, Barrie Title: The Disappearance of Emily H. Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: 2015

ISBN: 978-0-385-73943-6 Nonfiction:

Easy:

Pages: 244 Fiction: X

Price: $16.99

Genre/Dewey Classification: magic realism / mystery

Theme or Topic: mystery and detective stories; missing children; memory; magic realism; middle schools Grade Range: Grades 5 – 7 Quality Rating  X  + 

Purchase Rating Outstanding Above Average Average Below Average

Highly Recommended X Recommended Additional Selection Not Recommended

Comments/Evaluation: (include review sources here) Booklist, 05/01/15; Kirkus Reviews,1/29/2015; Publishers Weekly, 3/30/15; School Library Journal, 02/2015. Raine inherited a unique ability from her grandmother: she can “see” people’s memories when she captures a sparkle on them or one of their items. Some of the memories are boring – someone flipping through a magazine or a dad yelling about laundry – but others come in very handy when dealing with school bullies and the disappearance of an age-peer, as Raine is. Raine is the new girl, yet again, after her mother dumps her latest loser boyfriend and moves to a new town. Before the school year even begins, Raine figures out who the “mean girls” are, and knows that she’d got to take care to avoid them. Unfortunately, Raine’s new acquaintance doesn’t have such smarts and falls into the girls’ traps immediately. Another girl that fell into the same trap was Emily Huvar, who used to live in the house that Raine lives in and who disappeared the previous spring. Through her “sparkles,” Raine quickly figures out that the mean girls are involved in Emily’s disappearance, and she works both to solve the mystery and to break the cycle of bullying. Realistically told, both in characterizations and conversations, Summy’s novel is very realistic when it comes to middle school social interactions and hierarchies. The inclusion of Raine’s magical ability doesn’t lessen the value of the book or make it less realistic; suspension of disbelief is required only in regards to the fact that the girl who had “disappeared” has been living in Raine’s basement all along. However, that complaint is slight compared to the overall value of this fine work of fiction. An attractive cover makes the book that much sweeter.

Annotation: Eighth-grader Raine, a new girl at Yielding Middle School, uses her supernatural ability to see other people’s memories to solve the disappearance of a teenaged girl. Prepared by: Laura Stiles, Librarian

Campus: Canyon Vista Middle School