Silver Glove

This book is in print again, thank goodness -- it's the great middle section of oneof my favorite trilogies, packed with magical action and featuring a reallyicky villain and his mean witch of a sidekick. Valentine is a gutsy kid, and Ilike it that her family's magic has skipped a generation so that her grandmotheris in on it, but her mother is completely out of the loop. The story rips along, fullof neat New York detail that makes the place completely real.

Charnas really captures the imagination and inspires young adults to think in different and interesting ways. Reminiscent of city-themed "girl's novels," like _A Tree Grows in Brooklyn,_ this is about another young woman's coming of age-- but with a sorceress for a grandmother. It's a wild read, riveting to the very end, and is great for boys and girls alike. Action, adventure, mystery, and the supernatural all collide in Charnas' book, and here's hoping you can find a copy since they're out of print!