BANDIT'S MOON

Fleischman (The Abracadabra Kid, 1996, etc.) tells a meandering but effective story of a Mexican outlaw and a spunky “gringo” girl. During the Gold Rush, when recently orphaned Annyrose, dressed as a boy, escapes from her brutal caretaker, she is taken in by the infamous bandit, Joaqu°n Murieta. He gives her food and protection in exchange for teaching him to read; he also helps Annyrose in her search for her brother, and she helps the bandit fake his death. Her loyalty to Joaqu°n is only tempered by her strong sense of ethics (in fact, her moral haranguing is constant); despite his great charm and unusual kindness he is, after all, a murderous outlaw (whose crimes occur mostly offstage). Based on the exploits of bandit Joaqu°n Murieta, this story wanders all over the map, literally and figuratively. What holds it together is the tense but warm relationship between Annyrose and Joaquin; Fleischman infuses their scenes with charm and offers plenty of excitement set in an intriguing historical period. (Fiction. 8-12)