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CM . . . . Volume XVI Number 5. . . .October 2, 2009.
excerpt:
Chasing a Star is a pleasant, if somewhat contrived, story of a young girl�s encounter with figure skater Barbara Ann Scott. When 12-year-old Sophie finds out that Scott will be in town to perform, she is willing to do anything to meet her: she leaves school grounds at lunch, though it�s against the rules; she rides with her older brother, Joseph, to hockey practice on his motorcycle, without her mother�s permission. Finally her glamorous aunt helps arrange a meeting with Scott, and then Sophie and her aunt are asked to sing at the skating performance. In the meantime, Joseph is being recruited by a motorcycle gang that is plotting to kidnap Scott, but Sophie intervenes at the end, informing the police of the kidnapping plot and getting Joseph to fill in for a missing skater at the performance instead of going to the gang�s initiation. The most convincing parts of the novel are the scenes at home with Sophie�s family or at her new school. The various relationships and conflicts are well-drawn, and little period details, like the gym shorts in the excerpt above, give a clear picture of life in 1950's Vancouver. Sophie is a likeable character, and the supporting characters, including the adults, are well fleshed-out. The subplot with the motorcycle gang feels as though it was added in to provide more action in an otherwise quiet plot; it would have been more interesting to develop Sophie�s relationship with her new friend, Mary Ellen, who plays a small role in the plot and then disappears. Chasing a Star is a domestic novel, and the suspense of the gang scenes seems forced. But overall the plot is well paced and the narrative flows smoothly. Chasing a Star will appeal particularly to girls interested in figure skating. As it introduces Barbara Ann Scott to a new generation of Canadians, it would be an appropriate choice in this pre-Olympic year. Recommended. Kim Aippersbach is a freelance editor and writer with three children in Vancouver, BC.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca. Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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