Gr 4-6- In this evocative debut novel, 12-year-old Lily Mathis has attempted to remain invisible to the 117 residents of Olena, IL, since the death of her brother. For two years she has not spoken a word to anyone, not to her dad, or the kids at school, or the general-store owner Fern, who keeps talking to her even though the child doesn't respond. Lily has been swallowing a secret that has burdened her ever since Pete died, but it's hard, especially after Fern's grandniece moves to town. Tinny has her own secret: she tells lies and steals from Fern, and she catches Lily up in a dangerous intrigue that threatens to harm them both unless Lily can break her silence and speak the truth. The story unfolds in alternating chapters of past and present, slowly unveiling Lily's adoration for her big brother who loved old cars and gangster movies and running through the cornfields at night, leading inevitably to the present-day climax that brings resolution to both girls' problems. Throughout the well-developed plot is Olena, where the drone of the cicadas and the rustling of the cornstalks mingle with the daily conversation of the people. The story is believable because not much happens in this small town, so when tragedy strikes, or strangers appear, or a child goes missing, it is the town that feels it, not just the individuals involved. One part memory, one part mystery, and a generous dose of atmosphere make this the kind of satisfying read that Summer Reading is all about.-Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

Feeling responsible for her brother's accidental death, sixth-grader Lily Mathis has not spoken for two years when storekeeper Fern's niece Tinny Bridges arrives in their small town, determined to discover Lily's secret and bringing a mystery of her own. In her first full-length novel, picture-book author Beaty weaves elements from Lily's favorite Nancy Drew stories together with a moving picture of a child emerging from a shell of grief. She presents readers with a Chicago gangster, a sports car and a clue in a Tootsie Pop wrapper, but also two motherless children coping with additional losses in their particular ways. In mid-20th-century Olena, Ill., everyone knows everyone's business and adults still gather at the local store to gossip-rich territory for aspiring young detectives. Lily's first-person narrative cuts back and forth from the present day to her memories, and the details of her brother's death and the reasons for Tinny's odd behavior become mysteries for the reader to solve as well. An interesting extension for Nancy Drew fans, this may create some new ones as well. (Fiction. 9-12)