Gr 5-8-The opportunity to see a total solar eclipse draws thousands of people to the Moon Shadow campground. Wendy Mass's novel (Little, Brown, 2008) skillfully spins a tale combining an intriguing combination of fiction and astronomy, presented from the point of view of three distinct voices in alternating chapters. Home-schooled Ally is fascinated with astronomy, but her parents' abrupt announcement that they plan to sell the campground, the only life she has ever known, leaves her uncertain of her future to "secure immortality" by discovering a comet. Beautiful Bree, co-leader of her school's A clique, is mortified when her parents announce that they purchased Moon Shadow so they can continue their scientific research. But when her "inner geek" rears its head, she begins to wonder if there is more to life than making sure her lip gloss matches her purse. Jack's weight problem and low self-esteem keep him from being popular, and his preference for drawing graphic comics and reading science fiction cause him to fail science class. Consequently, he is sentenced to summer school, but snaps at the chance to join a tour bus of eclipse chasers, led by his science teacher, in exchange for documenting his experience. The three teens converge on the campground, each discovering something new about themselves and their place in the world. Ally, Bree, and Jack are well-drawn characters and are brought to life by the exceptional narration of Jessica Almasy, Ali Ahn, and Mark Turetsky. This compelling combination of scientific information and fiction is almost as rare as a solar eclipse.-Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City Schools, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Three lives are transformed at a much-anticipated total solar eclipse. Ally, almost 13, lives at the Moon Shadow Campground, purchased years ago by her parents as the perfect eclipse-viewing site. Ally loves the place and yearns to discover a comet. Jack, 13, glumly chooses helping his science teacher lead an eclipse tour over attending summer school. Bree, 13, who scoffs at science and believes that "[a] good hair day is worth its weight in gold," is horrified to be yanked from her mall-and-makeup life and taken to Moon Shadow. Readers learn through Bree what Ally doesn't know: Immediately after the eclipse, Bree's parents are taking over the campground, and Ally's family is moving to civilization. Each girl is heartbroken about her future until Bree sees the moon through a telescope, which inadvertently releases her "inner geek." Bree's shallowness is initially narratively weak beside Ally and Jack, who are both smart and honestly childlike, as the three voices alternate in the storytelling; however, by the gorgeous climax, Bree is special too. Glowing astronomical details entrance. (author's note, further reading) (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Three young teens witness a total solar eclipse and are changed forever in this novel, told in alternating narratives, that weaves exciting astronomy facts into the teens' personal lives. Ally, 13, is fascinated by the scientific event, as are 1,000 other people from all over the world who come to view the Great Eclipse at her family's wilderness site. Glamorous teen Bree has an opposite view and is appalled that her parents, both physics scholars, want to move to the site: how can she manage without the mall? Then there is Jack, who loves art and science fiction but is a failure at science and is brought to the site by his teacher. The anticipation building up to the great event brings thrilling changes in all three young lives. Bree's hilarious account of her experience as a glamour queen in the wilderness is right-on, but she moves beyond total stereotype and allows herself to release her inner geek, at least for a while, while Ally and Jack bond and also break their rigid character roles. The contemporary voices ring true, and readers will want to read more about the science surrounding eclipses.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2008 Booklist

Confirming her mastery of the middle-grade novel, Mass (Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life) combines astronomy and storytelling for a well-balanced look at friendships and the role they play in shaping identity. Three narrators take turns: Ally, who lives with her parents and younger brother at the Moon Shadow Campground and loves every tree and every rock on it, but most especially the stars above it; glamour-loving Bree, who announces to readers that she must have been "switched at birth" to explain her presence among physicist parents and a geeky younger sister; and Jack, who is helping his science teacher lead a solar eclipse tour to the Moon Shadow to make up his failing grade. The trio's paths converge because Ally's parents have sold the Moon Shadow to Bree's, and everyone meets up at the campgrounds during a major eclipse. The voices reflect the distinct personalities, and while the outcome is never in doubt--each character discovers unexpected powers of adaptability and new talents--Mass keeps the developments believable. Information about solar eclipses and astronomy is carefully woven into the plot to build drama and will almost certainly intrigue readers. Ages 8-12. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved