Reviews: (by author)

Konigsburg, E.L. The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. $16.95. ISBN 0-689-86636-4. 296 pp.

This is a cute novel that empowers children to stand up for what they believe in. Margaret Rose Kane, a clever introverted girl of twelve, is rescued from an oppressive summer camp by her Uncle Alex to spend the summer with him and his brother, Uncle Morris. The uncles are Hungarian immigrants who have made their living by owning and running a watch and jewelry kiosk at the local mall, and who have made their reputation by building three towers in their back yard over a 45-year span made solely of scrap metal, glass and paint. The towers, a neighborhood landmark, are now in threat of being torn down as a danger to the restoration project of the town, and when Margaret discovers this, she begins a campaign to save the towers. With the help of her uncles, her mother's childhood friends who are now a lawyer with the local phone company and the manager of an art museum, and the handyman from summer camp, Jake Kaplan, she embarks on a rescue mission that hits so many roadblocks, the towers seem destined to fall. By delaying the demolition of the towers, and by having them moved to a new location as towers for the phone company, Margaret and her friends are able to save the towers.

Recommended
Holly Boland, Summer 2004

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