From Publishers Weekly One of three titles launching the American Girl Fiction series with contemporary settings， this is the credible， at times affecting tale of a thoughtful sixth-grader facing some worrisome changes. Jenna， whose merchant marine father spends months at a time away at sea， must adjust to returning after school to an empty house when her mother accepts a full-time job at an advertising agency. The girl's best friend， Caitlin， spends increasingly more time with a brassy new classmate who shares her prowess at gymnastics. And Jenna agrees to enter a college-level flute competition， despite a longstanding struggle with stage fright. Yet these dilemmas pale next to those of Heather， a fellow contender in the flute contest. Heather is grappling with the suicide of her father and spends the afternoons caring for her demanding baby sister while her nurse mother goes to work. Though ridiculed by Caitlin and others， Heather reaches beyond her own problems to help Jenna conquer her "fear monsters" and understand the meaning of true friendship. Brockmann deals with some weighty issues， but never sinks to melodrama as she shapes authentic preteen characters. The author works into her narrative some effective imagery: "When I'm out here on the bridge polishing the chrome， I think of you polishing every note of your music，" says Jenna's father over the phone. Brockmann's novel gets this new imprint off to a promising start. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information， Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 4-6-Sixth-graders Jenna and Caitlin have been inseparable all their lives. Suddenly， things change. Jenna enters a flute competition and is paired with Heather， a talented musician who is a social misfit. In the meantime， Caitlin has deserted Jenna for a new girl at school， and they have been selected for the advanced-level gymnastics class. From Heather， Jenna learns what it means to be a true friend and the strength one can bring， while overcoming her paralyzing stage fright. This is a realistic depiction of a young adolescent girl as she learns to be independent and yet to have friends who can be counted on.Lynn W. Zimmerman， Southeast Middle School， Greensboro， NC Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews