Francine Thomas (Children's Literature)
The year 1963 proves to be a traumatic one for sixth-grader Ellie. President John F. Kennedy's assassination is only the beginning of bad things that force Ellie to cope by willing herself to a private place of escape. Ellie's life takes a dramatic downturn as her mother begins a selfish journey to realize personal dreams and in the process leaves her family behind. Living in Spectacle, New York, presents ongoing problems for Ellie as she contends with other children who look down on this socially unacceptable neighborhood. Ellie understands that everyone there is a little different. Best friend Holly lives with her single mother; the Lauchaires are foreigners who speak only French at home; the Levins are bohemian Jews; and at the very end of the cul-de-sac, two elderly ladies live together presumably as more than friends. While the patchwork of personalities is amusing, the problems faced by this young girl are not. Ellie is ostracized and harassed by classmates, as are all the other children from this unique neighborhood. Author Ann Martin tackles these and other painful issues with a captivating plot and very real characters. There are important insights here for the reader with an open mind. Ellie struggles to survive being different and eventually finds that while things often get worse before they get better, life does go on. "Ellie looked at the Witch Tree at one end of the street, then at the kids at the other. In the space between was her whole life." 2004, Scholastic Press, $16.95. Ages 9 to 14.

Beth Guldseth (Children's Literature)
Doris' presence was huge, as if she were an inflating balloon, taking up all the air and space." That sums up one of the most self-absorbed mothers to appear in children's literature. Modeling at the department store and being a local beauty queen whets her appetite for the big time, and Doris takes off for New York. Ellie, the eldest daughter, long ago assumed the responsible mother role in the family and she continues to care for the house and her younger brother and sister. Meanwhile, Ellie and her best friend endure cruel hazing at school. This is a bittersweet novel where the characters you root for emerge strong and able to face the future. Ellie is completely engaging. The father seemed underdrawn at first but as circumstances require it, he does what needs to be done. At just over 300 pages this is a real family saga with room for characters to grow and plots and subplots to develop. 2004, Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 10 to 14.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 20))
Sixth-grader Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman lives on the wrong side of the tracks in Spectacle, New York, in 1963. Bigotry abounds, and there are many acts of vandalism against the lone Jewish family and a pair of elderly women who live together. It's even worse at school, with Ellie and her best friend Holly the victims of endless bullying and hazing. But of most concern to Ellie is the future of her family. Her mother, Doris Day Dingman, is self-promoting, and totally self-absorbed. When she leaves to pursue her show-business dreams, Ellie is devastated, but understands that this outcome was inevitable. Martin has created a sensitive, sympathetic character in a setting rich with detail that place her firmly in the period. Occasional loose ends in the plot put this a step below her best work, but Martin's fans will recognize Ellie's emotional struggle and breathe a sigh of relief at the ending. 2004, Scholastic, 320p, $16.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 10 to 12. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Karolinde Young (The ALAN Review, Winter 2005 (Vol. 32, No. 2))
In Here Today, Ann M. Martin addresses the problems of social ostracism, broken families, and one girl’s struggle to define who she is. Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman is a sixth-grade girl living in the small town of Spectacle, New York. She practices the art of camouflage to escape the cruel taunts of the Sparrows, the popular clique of girls at school. Her mother, Doris Day Dingman, is the prettiest woman in all of Spectacle, the star of local plays, and the Bosetti Beauty. Everything begins to change when John F. Kennedy is assassinated. Doris decides that life is too short and leaves for New York City to pursue her dream of acting on Broadway. Ellie is left to care for her brother and sister, all the while struggling to discover who she is and why her mother could leave her behind. Here Today is an engrossing story about the strength inside of us all. This book would be appropriate for sixth- to eighth-graders and for anyone student who is struggling with divorce. Category: Coming of Age/Historical Fiction/Realistic Fiction. YA--Young Adult. 2004, Scholastic Press, 308 pp., $16.95. Ages young adult.Manhattan, KS

Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January 2005 (Vol. 58, No. 5))
Ellie's mother, Doris, tries valiantly to realize her dreams of stardom in the little town of Spectacle, New York in 1963--she auditions for TV spots, persuades department stores to hold fashion shows so she can model, and even convinces the chamber of commerce that they need to host a festival so that she can be crowned Harvest Queen. Ellie senses, rightly, that these dreams will pull Doris away from her, her overworked father, her sullen brother, and her sweetly hopeful little sister. Kennedy's assassination proves the catalyst that prompts Doris to move out, as she realizes that life is too short and unpredictable to stay where you're unhappy. Meanwhile, Ellie struggles with the problems of living in a neighborhood of culturally ostracized characters--the only Jewish people in town, a pair of middle-aged lesbians, a poor French-American family, and her best friend, Holly, born to a teenaged mother who's never married. Martin convincingly realizes the complex emotions of Ellie's situation; Ellie emerges as a strongly maternal advocate for the little kids in the neighborhood but retains her vulnerability with her elders. At first, she displays classic enabling behavior with Doris, trying to persuade her to stay by offering to help more around the house and biting her tongue when she thinks of criticizing her mother's dreams. Soon she realizes what the reader already knows--that her mother has never been interested in parenting, and that, as her grandfather points out, while her mother might not be too big for her town, her town is always going to be too small for her. Martin further nuances the story through the presence of "the ladies," who are plagued by acts of vandalism yet provide the most consistently nurturing presences in the neighborhood. Despite the book's considerable length, the plot is eventful enough and the atmosphere sufficiently fully rendered to keep the reader invested in Ellie's world and fate. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Scholastic, 308p, $16.95. Grades 5-8.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2005)
Ellie's cheaply glamorous, self-centered mother is desperate to break into show business, heedless of the consequences to her family. With her fluidly accessible writing style, Martin evokes family and school life in the early sixties to perfection and creates a number of nuanced characters to surround Ellie, her very ordinary yet compelling main character. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2004, Scholastic, 308pp, 16.95. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Barbara Quintangeli (The Kutztown University Book Review, Spring 2005)
1963 in the small town of Spectacle, New York finds Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman (Ellie) doing her best to watch after her younger brother and sister as Doris Day Dingman, her mother, desperately tries to break into show business and her father works long hours. After President Kennedy is assassinated, her mother realizes life is short and leaves the family to pursue her career in New York City. If that is not bad enough, Ellie also deals with bullying at school and hate crimes that occur in her neighborhood. Ellie perseveres and overcomes her challenges. I enjoyed this story and think many children will relate to the struggles Ellie faces. This is not your typical historical fiction book and it makes a nice alternative for required historical fiction reading assignments. Category: Historical Fiction. 2004, Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 10 to 14.

Lynn Butler (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 17, No. 4))
This book is about the last half of 1963 when a young girl’s life falls apart. Life for Eleanor Roosevelt Dingman is not tragic, nor is it storybook material either. She lives on Witch Tree Lane with her hopelessly dysfunctional family and a host of other social and economic misfits who suffer the wrath of the townspeople for being different. Ellie endures her eccentric mother who dreams of stardom, her silently suffering and often absent father, the cruelties of her classmates, and the weight of her family’s well-being. She deals with humiliation, rejection, and mean-spiritedness all with a style and grace well beyond her twelve years. Bad things happen when you live on Witch Tree Lane, and when a bad thing happens to Ellie and her family, she learns that letting go is a part of growing up. With rolling prose and a plot that keeps you reading, Ann Martin accurately captures the quiet desperation through which all children must go during their childhood and adolescence on the road to understanding. Fiction. Grades 5-6. 2004, Scholastic, 308p., $16.95. Ages 10 to 12.

Lisa A. Hazlett (VOYA, December 2004 (Vol. 27, No. 5))
Ellie's life is dismal during 1963 in Spectacle, New York, and it seems to be worsening. Her workaholic father tacitly enables her mother, Doris, to personify self-absorption in a quest for fame through local auditions and appearances. Ellie manages the household-and unpredictable Doris. Unfortunately Doris's utter unsuitability for the limelight makes her the town's caricature of the actress she yearns to become. Doris is oblivious of her reputation, unlike sensitive, mature Ellie. Ellie's salvation is her best friend, Holly, stigmatized by her single mother. Together the sixth graders bond against adult gossip and defy their popular female classmates who bully them. The assassination of John F. Kennedy spurs Doris to move to New York City to seek fame, and a bereft Ellie soon follows. Discovering that she is unwelcome convinces Ellie to separate from her mother's self-destructive fantasies. When Ellie returns home, her father begins parenting, and when Doris leaves for Hollywood, Ellie remains, finally secure and optimistic. Although the Kennedy assassination and aftermath are movingly accurate, they serve more as a plot device for Doris's move than as historical context. The story contains scattered cultural references but feels more contemporary than period as seen in the girls' prolonged victimization. Unnoticed bullying in a small elementary school seems unrealistic for 1963. Although Ellie is the protagonist, Doris lingers longer through her vexing combination of immaturity, cruel calculation, and unwavering self-confidence. These characteristics and her heartbreaking inability to cherish her family save her from becoming a one-dimensional monster. This bittersweet novel is appealing, and its focus on mercurial Doris might attract older readers. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2004, Scholastic, 320p., $16.95. Ages 11 to 15.