Break and Enter. Norah McClintock. Markham, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2002. 208 pp., pbk., $6.99. ISBN 0-439-98989-2. Grades 7-10 / Ages 12-15. Review by Anne Letain. *** /4

excerpt:

Ross dancing? I tried to picture it. He's a nice guy. Actually, he's a very nice guy, but imagining Ross on the dance floor made me think of a loaf of Wonderbread trying to look hip.

"Who are you going with?" I asked. He hadn't shown any interest in anyone since Tessa Nixon.

He shrugged. "No one," he said. "I just thought it might be fun."

"Right," I said with a snort. "What could be more fun than observing the three basic food groups at a high school dance?"

"Three basic food groups?"

"The people who are groping each other, the people who are dreaming about groping that someone special, and the people who are whining because someone else is groping their someone special. No thanks! Have a ball, Ross!”

Break and Enter, the fourth in the Chloe and Levesque series of young adult mysteries by Norah McClintock, is a very appealing read and may be just the carrot needed for reluctant imbibers of print at the junior high/high school level. Chloe is a city kid from Montreal transplanted to a small Ontario town where her stepfather is the police chief. Chloe's not too popular with the other students and one teacher, and when she finds herself under suspicion for vandalism of the teacher's car, she sets to work to find out the truth and uncovers a far more sinister plot. The bigger story involves a serial set of break-ins and a murder in which Chloe finds herself accidentally enmeshed.

     Although the plot is well thought out and the book is a well paced page turner, the real appeal is McClintock's bang on vision of contemporary high school. Chloe Yan is a splendid, grounded and smart character who can be admired by both guys and girls alike. She has attitude combined with a realistic approach to her situation. It's very difficult not to like her, and McClintock's sassy breezy style of writing also adds to her attraction. Hopefully, Norah McClintock will keep Chloe sleuthing and in high school for a while longer.

Recommended.

Anne Letain is a teacher-librarian and school library consultant in Southern Alberta.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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