Nothing to Fear (Gulliver Books)
Grade 5-9-- New York City youngster Daniel Garvey is around 11 when the Depression begins. At first he doesn't notice it much, but as the years go by, he sees the toll first in his neighborhood, as friends' families are evicted, and then in his own family. His father, out of work, takes to the road to find employment, and Daniel is left in charge of his expecting, ailing mother and his baby sister. Things go from bad to worse, until the family is rescued by someone who, at first blush, appears to be worse off than they. This differs from Pieter Van Raven's A Time of Troubles (Scribners, 1990) in that it deals with an eastern metropolitan population, not migrant workers. Less derivative than Van Raven's book, it also presents a view of the Depression that, if no less desperate, is less bleak. Daniel is an engaging protagonist who goesthrough numerous rites of passage familiar to young teens--first girlfriend, shaving, and the sudden realization that he is taller than his mother. He must also come to terms with his father's death and mother's remarriage. If it all works out a trifle too smoothly, the story still imparts the flavor of the time, and the strong plot line and numerous interesting supporting characters will hold readers' attention. --Ann Welton, Univ . Child Development School, SeattleCopyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.