By Colorado Kids Advisory Board Member Cory Weinstein

Title: Winter
Author: John Marsden
Publisher: Scholastic
Number of Pages: 147

Have you ever wondered about your past? What if your past wasn't really what you thought it to be?

Winter is a sixteen year old orphan. She lives with a foster family who acts as if Winter doesn't even exist. Whenever Winter starts talking about her parents they become silent. Winter continually questions them
about her past. They told her that her parents died in a sail boating accident. Winter didn't believe that. So she went back to her home called Warriewood.

Ralph and Sylvia were the caretakers of the property. The home that she once lived in was a wreck- cobwebs were everywhere and the carpets were soiled. On the way to see her parent's graves she saw Ralph cutting down some trees. She knew what Ralph was doing was illegal. She would have to talk it over with Mr. Carruthers, the manager of her estate when her parents died. She went to the graves and saw something that changed her whole life. Her parents died on different dates! Her mother died six months after her father. So she went back to Warriewood and Mr. Carruthers said that her mother died when a dog ran over a gun and the gun shot her mother and her father died in a sail boating accident. Winter wondered, "How could my mom be this foolish?" No, she must have died in another way!!!

Well, I'm not going to give away the mysterious ending. In order to find out how her mom really died you need to read Winter. I would recommend this book because it's a mystery and is very suspenseful. I would recommend it for nine year olds and up. Winter used some poor language at times. If you liked this book also try out the Nancy Drew series. :) Happy Reading (: (October, 2002)