Just Imagine [Hardcover]

Gr 6-8-Mary Francis, 12, latches onto her "gift" of out-of-body experiences as doggedly as her mother takes to outlandish and impractical notions, pushing her young son through the Hollywood child-star mill. Mama clutches fast to their fancy Beverly Hills home, fueled by dreams of Leland's tap-dancing future. Meanwhile, Mary Francis, Daddy, and Gram head toward a small New England mill town and Daddy's new job. Even as Gram tucks Mary Francis protectively under her wing, the girl harbors a nagging doubt as to why Mama doesn't want her in Beverly Hills. She works hard at perfecting her ability to escape the neglect and family tensions in her life. Her success at the paranormal is balanced with quirky moments, as when she drags Gram to a s‚ance, as well as well-timed bursts of humor. Nonetheless, family conflict is the focus: Mama's childlike tunnel vision, Gram's palpable disdain for her daughter-in-law, and Daddy's tight-lipped stance over just when Mama's coming home. Through Mary Francis's eyes, the story is revealed with unconditional love and refreshingly unflappable candor. Collins has typified the paradox of the 1930s-the irresistible glamour of the Hollywood Golden Era masking the downtrodden gray of the Great Depression. Juggled between these vastly different realities, Mary Francis emerges as an endearing and memorable character. Teachers will love this novel's authentic feel of the period, and readers will love Mary Francis.-Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 6-8. Everyone makes sacrifices during the Great Depression, so 12yearold Mary Francis and Gram move to Massachusetts with Daddy when he gets a job there. Mama and Leland stay in the nice, big house in Beverly Hills--because Leland is the next Shirley Temple, a tapdancing sevenyearold guaranteed to make all of Mama's dreams come true. Bombarded by the adults' frenetic arguing, Mary Francis desperately delves into spiritualism. She just imagines and her spirit almost travels through enough time and space to reach Mama. Eventually, Mary Francis realizes that the answer to saving her family lies within her. Despite a spineless father who confesses to his daughter that he'll do anything to please his wife, and a selfabsorbed, brutally capricious mother, Mary Francis pieces her family together. Her firstperson narrative effectively portrays the family's trauma, set against a backdrop of Flexible Flyers and Green Hornet radio shows. The clever plot is foiled only by the happyeverafter ending. Overall, however, this is a captivating story of family loyalties, selfawareness, and the power of belief. Karen Simonetti
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Mary Franciss world is split in two when her father loses his job in California during the Great Depression and finds another one in Hardenville, Massachusetts. Unwilling to give up her dreams of a film career for her son, Leland, Mary Franciss mother refuses to leave their home in Beverly Hills. So, Mary Francis, her father, and grandmother go on to New England without them. Determined to keep an eye on the other half of her family, Mary Francis works on her "gift," the ability to have "out-of-body" experiences. She hopes to get so good at it that shell be able to "travel" to California to check on her mother and Leland. While Mary Francis practices her developing talent, her parents become more estranged, and she begins to fear theyll never all be living in the same place again. Quirky but believable characters and a look at the early days of the movie industry send this story off in funny, poignant, and unexpected directions.

Pat Lowery Collins lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, where she writes, paints and illustrates full-time. She was born and raised in Hollywood and received her B.A. in English from the University of Southern California. She is an award winning poet and author, having written a number of young adult novels including The Fattening Hut (Houghton, 2003), Just Imagine (Houghton, 2001), and Signs and Wonders (Houghton, 1999), as well as the picture book Tomorrow, Up and Away (Houghton, 1990). To learn more about Pat Lowery Collins, visit her website at www.patlowerycollins.com.