Emily and Jackson Hiding Out

Gr 3–6—Fans of Emily's Fortune (Delacorte, 2010) will enjoy this lively sequel. Picking up exactly where the first book left off, Emily (recently orphaned) and her friend Jackson arrive safely at her aunt 's farm, relieved to have escaped her evil uncle Victor who was intent on kidnapping her for her inherited fortune. Just as they settle in, they learn that the nefarious Catchum Child-Catching Service (that collects a bounty for each child caught) is hot on the trail of Jackson, himself an orphan. Aunt Hilda is a loving and protective child advocate, intent on adopting them both. However, when she goes to town without them one day and a mysterious old widow cloaked in black appears asking for money, trouble ensues. Emily and Jackson have to use their wits to elude immediate danger. Fast-paced chapters end with twangy cliff-hanger questions like, "What in a duck's dimple do you think happened next?" Collins's charming black-and-white illustrations round out the regional flavor of this rollicking tale, which would be good for reluctant readers or those simply in the mood for an old-fashioned adventure story set in the Wild West.—Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library