From Publishers Weekly Richardson (The Way Home) deftly combines themes from Western fairy tales and Thai folklore with a contemporary plot to create a tale shining with quiet grace and subtle power. Fifth grader Nita feels helpless and bereft when her mother sinks into a speechless depression after returning from a trip to her native Thailand to their wintry Cape Cod home. And she feels even more forlorn when， after "Ma-jah" is hospitalized and her Coast Guard father goes to sea on duty， she is left at her best friend's house. Preoccupied with her mother's illness， Nita takes little in the goings-on around her until she starts catching glimpses of rare snowy owls on the beach. Before long the usually shy girl unexpectedly lands the lead role in the class production of Snow White and takes the lead as well in reaching out to Ma-jah. Lyrical， acutely observed yet simply told， with a heartwarming conclusion， this is top-drawer middle-grade fiction. Ages 9-12. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information， Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 4-6?In this slight story， fifth-grader Nita Orson struggles with several weighty issues. Chief among them is her mother's depression: since returning from a trip to Thailand， her native country， the woman has become catatonic. Only her daughter realizes that the illness is tied to homesickness. Nita's Caucasian father， a Coast Guard engineer， seems oblivious; he puts his wife in the hospital， dumps Nita with friends， and leaves on a mission that stretches from days into two weeks. Meanwhile， Nita attempts to understand her dual heritage through early childhood memories of Thailand and， more reluctantly， through writing a school report on the country. She also gets the role of Snow White in a school play， prompting a classmate's teasing to take on a distinctly racist tone. Nita's hosts are kind， but the girl is clearly on her own emotionally. Her dream is that her mother will recover in time to see her as Snow White， and it comes true?unrealistically quickly. The story raises several unanswered questions. How does the family relate to one another during "normal" times? Does Nita's mother， a former victim of government oppression， have a history of depression? Why is Nita's father so insensitive to his family's needs and to their Thai heritage? Nita is a likable heroine， but readers have little opportunity to understand where she's coming from?and where she might be going.?Mary Jo Drungil， Niles Public Library District， ILCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews