Lorenzo's Secret Mission
Gr 6-9-Pursuing his father's dying wish, 15-year-old Lorenzo Bannister sets off to deliver a letter to his grandfather and becomes unexpectedly involved in some lesser-known aspects of the American Revolution, rubbing shoulders with such legendary figures as Bernardo de G lvez and George Washington. Beginning in New Orleans, the teen travels up the Mississippi River as a medic on a flatboat delivering supplies and intelligence to the American rebels, and to Virginia to meet his grandfather for the first time. One of the book's strengths is its depiction of the cultural diversity (French, Spanish, Choctaw, etc.) that was vital to the Revolutionary cause, and which is the foundation of New Orleans heritage. In the end, Lorenzo is faced with a revelation of his own ethnic background, to which he and other major characters react perhaps too altruistically. While the novel does not quite reach its full potential, it is still entertaining and has several unpredictable twists.Sean George, St. Charles Parish Library, Luling, LACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.