From School Library Journal Grade 7-12-- In 29 poems， Janeczko， best known for his anthologies of poems for young adults， captures the people and events of the small mill town in which he grew up. The poems are written as fragmented thoughts in the free verse appropriate to memories， and they vividly reflect the triumphs， fears， and friendships of adolescent boys. A number of the poems directly evoke characters from novels， including old Lester Darby of "Stories，" who seems to have stepped from Kinsella's Shoeless Joe (Ballantine， 1983) and Marty Morgan of "The Bridge，" who meets a fate explored in Burns' Cold Sassy Tree (Ticknor & Fields， 1984). These connections are a testament to the universality of small town life and experiences， and to Janeczko's ability to portray it in simple language. The seven black-and-white paintings and the strong cover highlight the qualities of both exuberance and darkness which are developed in the poems. --Barbara Chatton， College of Edu ca tion， University of Wyoming， LaramieCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information， Inc. Card catalog description In a series of poems， the speaker and his best friend meander through the summer after eighth grade， encountering for the first time in the local people of their economically depressed neighborhood enormous courage and vitality.