Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2012 It’s 1947, and 11-year-old Ally and her older brother, Chuck, are obsessed with the emerging science of rocketry. When Ally learns that a neighbor, Captain Ebbs, is a military scientist, she delights in hearing about the woman’s work with the captured German scientist Wernher von Braun (designer of the infamous V-2 rocket). She also gets caught up in Chuck’s reckless information-gathering adventures, like scaling a radio tower to see firsthand how signals are broadcast. Ebbs takes the kids under her wing, and they set off on a sailing trip to an island where they might be able to watch a test launch from afar. But nothing short of being at the launch is good enough for Chuck and Ally. Though the point of view centers on Ally, the book’s true character arc belongs to Chuck, which makes for an emotionally removed read with too many competing subplots. Still, Armstrong (with the help of Jessell’s spot art) captures the essence of youthful pluck, and Chuck’s determination to learn at all costs is something that readers can admire. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2012 Alex mostly hangs around with her older brother, Chuck, who shares her interest in the electronics and rocketry that are all the rage after the close of World War II. A chance encounter with a new neighbor, Captain Ebbs, is a masterstroke of luck for eleven-year-old Alex. Not only is the woman fascinating in her own right-she’s an Army officer who helped solve the problem of feeding masses of impoverished Europeans at war’s end-but she’s also connected to none other than Wernher von Braun, the idol Chuck longs to meet. Chuck is one complicated guy-he’s a technical-school dropout with reading disabilities, with an astonishing talent for tinkering in electronics and a stubborn daredevil streak that’s a true peril to himself and his sister. Captain Ebbs recognizes Chuck’s abilities and tries to give him support and direction, but his resistance to playing by her rules leads him to steal a boat with Alex and break into a government-restricted launch site to watch the liftoff of one of von Braun’s rockets. Historical figures Ebbs and von Braun do not interact convincingly with the fictional siblings, and it’s a stretch to accept that even the most tenacious do-gooder (to say nothing of understanding parents) would put up for long with Chuck’s intransigence-much less reward it with tutoring, a job, and flight lessons-or that Chuck would ultimately drop his bad habits and suicidal thoughts in the course of single day. Alex, ostensibly the focal character of the novel, gets lost in the shuffle, and her activities don’t carry the intrinsic interest of Ebbs and Chuck, whose backstories would be worth knowing. An author’s note does not offer any substantial background on the real-life characters; final illustrations not seen. EB - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 08/01/2012 Gr 5–7—World War II is over and, like many American kids, 11-year-old Alex and her 17-year-old brother, Chuck, are fascinated with space science. They build model rockets, read and study about radio codes, and even have a tree house equipped as a Moon Station. They are excited to discover that their new neighbor, Captain Ebbs, is actually part of the space research program, and that she works with pioneer space scientist Wernher von Braun. Ebbs is impressed by the kids' research, but not at all happy with Chuck's tendency to "liberate" materials for his experiments from local stores. Hoping to encourage a more acceptable lifestyle, she invites the children to join her on a sailing expedition down the Potomac to observe a top-secret rocket launch. In many ways, their trip will resemble a space voyage. The travelers will be on their own "out there," Ebbs says. Success will require cooperation and self-reliance and a readiness to adapt. However, while the captain plans to watch the blastoff from a safe-and legal-distance, Chuck insists on a closer view. Despite armed guards, the FBI, and the presence of von Braun himself, the siblings resolve to sneak onto the restricted island. The quiet, leisurely pacing of the action recalls the generally peaceful atmosphere of rural America in the postwar years. However, there are subtle reminders of the conflicts that lie just below the surface and that will shortly erupt onto the national scene-communism, xenophobia, militarism. With realistic dialogue, authentic period details, and references to historical figures and events, this novel brings to life an important, but often overlooked, era in American and scientific history.—Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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