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What people are saying about
Libby Sternberg's "Uncovering Sadie's Secrets"
While
Sternberg emphasizes mystery and action elements, she doesn't
ignore deeper issues. She portrays Bianca as someone who genuinely
cares about Sadie, the school's new girl, even while digging
into Sadie's past, rationalizing her actions with the idea the
she's really helping the girl ...[M]oralizing at the end helps
to tidy up Bianca's growth experience, but the emphasis remains
on mystery and suspense. It's an extra entertainment for mystery
fans, one for those who want a puzzle without a ghost or a murder...
-- KIRKUS REVIEWS Sternberg's
first novel is a lightweight, entertaining teen mystery-romance
narrated by 15-year-old high-school sophomore Bianca Balducci.
The lively story follows Bianca as she tries "to hook
up with a guy" who is her major crush, keep up with homework,
and be a good daughter. At the same time, she's busy investigating
why her new friend Sadie is
apparently being stalked by a twosome dubbed ‘the Lemming
Lady and the Ice Man,' and trying to stay ahead of her 20-something
sister, Connie, who is a real-life PI. The plot thickens as
Bianca uncovers secrets in Sadie's past. The subtitle suggests
that this is the first in a new series: Nancy Drew fans and
other young mystery aficionados will be pleased. Gr. 6-9.
-- BOOKLIST
An engaging young teen mystery that's fun to read, as the
lead protagonist hooks the audience with her combination of
sweet innocence and crafty guile. Uncovering Sadie's Secrets
entertains readers because the mystery is fun, but the cast
seems so real. Libby Sternberg's Balducci tale would make
a fine present for the female Potter crowd especially, not
to mention us geriatrics who grew up with the hardy Nancy
Drew novels.
-- HARRIET KLAUSNER, HARRIET'S BOOK REVIEWS
Bianca is a high school sophomore whose ear for gossip turns
her into an information-hungry private investigator, or at
least a PI-in-training. She befriends Sadie, only to discover
that this strange new classmate from California is concerned
about a ‘friend' being accused of murder. Bianca will
risk everything to find out who Sadie really is.
Sternberg's writing mimics the social speech of a typical
15-year-old girl; it's chock-full of hyperbole and self-confidence-boosting
assertions. The author exposes her protagonist's hopes, fears,
and insecurities with a fresh voice, and she keeps Sadie's
real secrets a mystery until the end. Bianca's relationships
with friends and family are point-blank in their raw emotions
and typify the rebellious nature of the teenager who also
vies to be a hero to those she cares about. The epilogue reads
like a PI's verbal summary of the case with suggestions for
the next time, and overviews of what happened to the characters
in the case. A great start to what looks like a continuing
series.
-- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
Bianca's quest … leads to one zany mix-up after another.
She is caring, energetic, and endearing, and readers will
laugh appreciatively at her bumbling attempts to court Doug
while playing private eye… This light and enjoyable
mystery will be especially appreciated by female readers and
is appropriate for school and public libraries.
-- VOYA (4Q*4P*M*J)
An engaging young detective, a savvy older sister, a caring
mom, and a good puzzle – all make for a mystery novel
young readers are sure to enjoy. Did the lonely teenager commit
murder? Who are the threatening strangers from Sadie's past,
and what do they want with her now? Bianca uncovers Sadie's
secrets in a tale that is fast-paced and intricately woven.
This is a book appropriate and entertaining for readers of
all ages. A delightful read!
-- LAURIE MORROW, PH.D., PRESIDENT, VERMONT ASSOCIATION
OF SCHOLARS, AND FORMER PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH AT LOUISIANA
STATE UNIVERSITY, SHREVEPORT
While the past of any new student who arrives at your school
may be a mystery, Bianca Balducci is convinced that the new
girl, Sadie Sinclair, has more than her share of secrets.
Each chapter takes the reader along as Bianca, in a series
of spunky, crack-the-whip-like adventures, discovers who Sadie
really is and why she is lying about her identity. In one
of the chapters, Bianca gets locked in the school's office
while trying to sneak a look at Sadie's records. What reader
hasn't dreamed of knowing the secrets of the school's files?
In this case, the files do reveal a clue to Sadie's identity.
You may want to get locked-in somewhere yourself to read Uncovering
Sadie's Secrets because you won't want to stop reading once
you start. What would you have done if you had been in Bianca's
shoes? Would there have been a kinder, more honest way for
Bianca to uncover Sadie's secrets?
-- JANICE MOORE, LIBRARIAN, ROLAND PARK COUNTRY
SCHOOL (BALTIMORE, MD)
I connected with the narrator's voice, and liked the story
a great deal. I'll definitely want to read the sequel.
– SARAH ZIMMERMAN, AGED 14, BALTIMORE, MD
I thoroughly enjoyed Sadie! I wanted to keep reading and
to get the mystery solved. Libby Sternberg's take on teenagers
is right on the money, right down to their (over?) familiarity
with today's modern forms of technology! I worked in children's
book publishing for 10 years, so I'm very familiar with the
creation and marketing of YA fiction. It is refreshing to
read something that isn't replete with the drugs/death/depression/etc.
of so many contemporary YA novels.
-- KATHLEEN FINN, PUBLICIST, VERMONT FOLKLIFE
CENTER
"With a witty, smart, and engaging story, modest-yet-lovable
characters, and a mystery that you'll want to solve, Uncovering
Sadie's Secrets has something for everyone! Plus, I've got
to say it: Bianca, Kerrie, and Sadie are authentic, interesting
characters – and they're awfully hard to find on the
bookshelves these days!"
-- SARAH MYER, AGED 15, WHITE HALL, MD
I read the book in one day – it was that good. I like
Bianca, her family, her friends, her concerns, her intelligence.
Moreover, the intriguing plot involved me in the story. And
Bianca's learning process in this plot of thought was plausible
and, I believe, something that would give a young reader something
to reflect upon.
--CAROL NEVIN ABROMAITIS, PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH,
LOYOLA COLLEGE IN MARYLAND
I loved Uncovering Sadie's Secrets!! It's absorbing, enchanting,
unpredictable, and delightful. Its main character and narrator,
Bianca Balducci, is charmingly adolescent and self-effacing.
The novel faithfully captures young people's attitudes and
behavior without condescension. And the relationships it depicts
are REAL. (One of the worst things about books written for
young adults OR adults these days, and the downfall of many
a movie, is the absence of realistic relationships.) Sadie's
author successfully avoids the temptation to exaggerate the
sibling tensions. And God bless her! she's actually made the
relationships between the girls positive and affirming, with
very little evidence of sniping, snarling, ‘bitchy'
girls. Maybe I'm just an adolescent at heart and in mind,
but I enjoyed reading Sadie as much as any of Mary Higgins
Clark's books, and am already looking forward to the next
Bianca mystery!!
-- KELSEY BUSH NADEAU, CO-HOST OF "TRUE NORTH,"
A MORNING RADIO TALK SHOW ON WKDR-AM, BURLINGTON, VT
I really liked Sadie's Secrets. Having read Sherlock Holmes
and Agatha Christie, I'm a big fan of a good mystery, and
this one definitely kept me on my toes. The story was told
by a girl who someone my age could understand and relate to,
in language that was very modern. The ideal target audience
for it, I think, are girls from 13-14, though I can see girls
as young as 10 and as old as 16 reading and enjoying it. And
yes, I wouldn't be surprised to see it as a TV series someday.
-- STACEY COOPER, 15
As a work of fiction, this mystery novel is novel in a very
important way: no sex, no violence, yet a creative story well
told. Even for one who reads little fiction because of the
impossibility of keeping up with all of the non-fiction of
interest, Uncovering Sadie's Secrets is a work worthy of being
read in one sitting, and not just by 11-14 year-olds. For
them, the book's target audience, it's a bullseye.
-- DAVID KIRKPATRICK, A FORMER PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER
AND NEA OFFICER, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK CHOICE IN SCHOOLING, AND
EDITOR OF INSIDERUPDATE WHO'S NATIONALLY KNOWN IN THE SCHOOL
REFORM MOVEMENT
Although I'm a 12-year-old boy, and clearly not the target
audience, I still enjoyed Uncovering Sadie's Secrets. I'd
recommend it for girls my age, and even give it to them as
a birthday gift – if I got invited to their parties.
-- JEREMY LEHMAN
I was delighted to read this light mystery and follow the
path of Bianca in trying to learn Sadie's secrets. The story
is one that you won't want to put down until the last page,
and then you will want more. It is a delight in its descriptions,
teenage expressions, and language. What a pleasure to read
a novel without having to ‘put up with' undesirable
language. I truly look forward to the sequel.
-- SISTER SHIRLEY DAVIS, SSJ, CATHOLIC EDUCATOR
(BURLINGTON, VT DIOCESE)
Sternberg captures the chaotic energy of youth that makes
Uncovering Sadie's Secrets a book that's fun for adults as
well as teenagers. As the story flips between unraveling the
mystery surrounding the new girl in school and Bianca's quest
to catch Doug's eye (and yet not seem like she is trying to
catch his eye), Sternberg brings to life the excitement of
being a teenager all over again. It's Nancy Drew for the Internet
generation and good, clean fun!
-- DR. CHRISTOPHER HAMMONS, PROFESSOR, HOUSTON
BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
"I consider myself a 'mom expert' on kid lit, and I
liked that Sadie didn't need melodramatic teens or sex and
drugs to hold reader interest, yet had enough reality to create
intrigue. …This is one book where I don't have to worry
about what my daughter is reading."
-- PAM O'REILLY, MD MOTHER OF TWO
I'm a 12-year-old middle school student who loves to read,
and I absolutely loved reading Sadie's Secrets. I've read
other mysteries before, but this one was different. It was
such a real and unpredictable mystery that it kept me guessing
to the end. The story grabbed me and pulled me through to
the conclusion. The characters were true to life, and fit
the story. And the setting – a parochial school –
was unusual. Whenever the sequel comes out, I'm going to grab
it – only I hope it doesn't take the author too long
to write it.
-- MANDEE SIMMONS, BALTIMORE, MD
I read it in a single day and just LOVED it! The author
pulled me through the story from beginning to end. I can't
wait for the next installment of the Bianca series.
– JULIE TAYLOR, AGED 13, PIKESVILLE, MD
When my (much older) brother dragged me from his bedroom
one recent night, and told me I had to go back to mine, I
picked up and started reading Sadie's Secrets. At first, I
couldn't get to sleep. Then I didn't want to. The next day,
I took Sadie with me to camp, and kept it with me wherever I went, whatever I did –
nobody, in fact, could have pulled it away from me. Reading
as much and as fast as I could, I finished it the same day.
Sadie is quite the page-turner. My favorite series had been
The Boxcar Children, which is about much different subjects
and is much shorter (by about 60 pages) than Sadie. When it
gets published in 2003, I'm going to be recommending Sadie
to all my friends right up to the 9th grade. Then, I'm going
to hope I get a chance – before it's published –
to read the sequel. There's no other way to put it: I love
the Bianca Balducci series. And at last I've read a book that
my older sister (13) and I completely agree on.
-- LISA TAYLOR, 11 ½, PIKESVILLE, MD
E-Book $8.95
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