Mischief and Malice

Gr 5 Up—In this follow-up to the author's classic Secret Lives (Little, Brown, 1979), which first introduced readers to pre-World War II era character Addie Agnew, the protagonist is now is 14. Following the death of her beloved guardian Aunt Eveline, she goes to live with her Aunt Toosie, Uncle Henry, and cousin/rival Sandra Lee. Fickle and boy-crazy, Addie is a hilarious character who starts the book smitten with classmate Leonard McCloskey. Addie even pleads to her deceased aunt to please let Leonard just know that she exists. However, her devotion to Leonard wavers when her best friend Tom's handsome and estranged father Louis mysteriously returns after a 10-year absence. Mischief ensues as the protagonist hatches several plans, encouraged by words from comical advice book, Dearest, to win Louis's heart. In her attempts to secure love, she uncovers that Louis's return may not have been as altruistic as he claimed. Amoss excellently re-creates a prewar atmosphere, and it seems like the book itself was written during a different time period. While fun and engaging, some of the book's terminology might be confusing to children who do not have a Catholic background and much of the humor will be lost on them.