The Lost Village of Central Park (Mysteries in Time)
Grade 3-5-A gripping story with historical background seamlessly integrated throughout. The title refers to Seneca Village, the African-American and immigrant settlement that once existed in what is now New York City's Central Park. Unique in its place in American history, this racially mixed community was characterized by harmony from its beginnings in the 19th century. Sooncy Taylor is an African-American girl who lives with her parents on land they own in Seneca Village. Her family befriends recent Irish immigrants, the McBeans, who have a daughter, Kayla, about her age. Sooncy attends Colored School #3 while Kayla is a servant in a neighboring wealthy community and can only attend church school on Sundays. Returning home one evening after running errands together, the girls encounter two slave catchers who are pursuing escaped slaves that they believe are hidden in the village. Kayla comes to realize that the residents shelter fugitives and that she wants to help, while Sooncy becomes aware that she is vulnerable to slave catchers even though she has always been free. In the end, the villagers band together to run the slave catchers out of town and successfully pass the fugitives on to the next station. Killcoyne creates a dynamic world in which readers can experience the characters' growth as their interests expand beyond their immediate environment. Unfortunately, the illustrations detract from the overall attractiveness of the novel; they are awkwardly conceived and confusing.Judith Everitt, Orchard Hill Elementary School, Skillman, NJCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.