Miranda Goes to Hollywood

I was thoroughly charmed by the adventures of Miranda Gaines, Jane Kendall's wonderful young heroine in "Miranda Goes to Hollywood." Ms. Kendall writes with genuine affection, her words sparkle and gallop off the page. Her witty story moves at a pace that will keep both kids and adults enthralled. In fact, I bought the book as a gift for my ten-year-old neice, but delayed mailing it until I'd finished reading every word.I've been a fan of Miranda since my neice and I read the the first book, "Miranda and the Movies," a couple of summers ago. The books bring alive a fascinating chapter in the history of American popular culture, and they manage to be informative and delightful at the same time. I wonder how many school systems include Miranda on their reading lists? I certainly wish she'd been around when we were kids.

As a children's literature buff, I had wondered whether the second book in the Miranda series would live up to the first, "Miranda and the Movies." My hopes were surpassed.The characters in this book, especially the precocious Miranda, leap off the page with sharp, original dialogue and a fast moving story. And the writing! "Fine, sleety pebbles, mean-spirited and purposeful, whirled down onto the little town of Cullersville..."This story of a New Jersey Girl who heads west in pursuit of her silver screen dreams sweeps you along. It also leaves you wanting more, as most excellent books do, but there's good news: a third Miranda book, "Miranda Goes to War," is on the way.

As a children's book-buyer for an independent bookstore, I was delighted with "Miranda Goes to Hollywood." Having read the new crop of books for kids, I'm tired of dysfunctional families and writers who talk down to the young adult audience. Both of the Miranda books avoid this, and tell a fun, charming story of adventure, that will have every girl who reads it unable to put it down until finished. Kendall's characters, the story itself and the way early film history was brought to life in a completely un-stuffy way will have every young girl who reads this thinking either that she IS Miranda or wants to BE Miranda.