Amy's Choice

Gr 6–9—Amy is beginning her freshman year of high school in the fall of 1973. She spent her summer working in the town's new public library. Her love interest, Craig, moves to Boston and Amy is worried about starting school again. Then she meets Cat and her brother Ricky. Cat works with Amy at the library, helping put new donations into the collection and starting a storytime program. The girls meet Finn, the lighthouse keeper, who paints landscapes of the ocean and the island. When a fire breaks out in the woodshed behind the library, Finn is blamed. Amy knows he didn't do it, but she can't prove it. Then Craig comes back and Amy doesn't know how she feels about him or about Ricky when they both ask her to the upcoming fall dance. This companion novel picks up a few weeks after the events in Call Me Amy (Luminis, 2013) and continues Amy's story. This is a gentle read with the most controversial issue being underage smoking. All the issues addressed here are wrapped up by the end of the novel and Amy is happy with her choices.—Natalie Struecker, Rock Island Public Library, IL