Everything in twelve-year old Hazel's life just got shaken up. Not only is there a war going on (it's 1944) but she and her mom have moved to New Mexico where her dad is working on a secret project for the government. They don't even have a real address; they just live behind barbed wire and chain-link fence in a remote place called "the Hill". Hazel doesn't know what her dad and the others are working on but she's smart enough to know it's important, and things like security passes and secrets soon become a part of her life.

I had a rare Saturday afternoon while the whole family was away and planned to get so much done... until I started this book and couldn't put it down! Ms. Davies has written a fascinating historical fiction account of a kid's life at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project, and as far as I know from other reading it is historically accurate. Hazel is an exceptionally bright girl, perfectly likable to the reader, and acts like a normal twelve-year old, but she also has to deal with a very abnormal situation. But the book is also very beguiling because - although I know how the war ended - it's so well-written that I felt like I didn't see it coming, and parents will want to be aware that what is otherwise a charming and compelling read packs a strong emotional punch at the end. ( )

A child's-eye view of the Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project. Both the events and the characterizations are pretty flat. Read The Green Glass Sea instead. ( )

A child's-eye view of the Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project. Both the events and the characterizations are pretty flat. Read The Green Glass Sea instead. ( )