From School Library Journal Grade 4-8?A fire in Maine in October 1947 is the basis for this story and provides the action, while a girl's struggle to deal with the role she sees for herself is its psychological underpinning. Meg's grandmother tells her she is like "fire in the wind," meaning that she only makes matters worse when she takes action. Meg is the self-appointed protector of her younger brother and her older, but "backward," cousin Orin. All of the community is on alert as a drought continues and fires break out. When flames arrive sending the family racing for cover, Meg turns to Orin for safety and leadership in a reversal of roles. Levin is a pro at unfolding the world from the point of view of her main character. Fans of Peg Kehret's Nightmare Mountain (Cobblehill, 1989) or Ivy Ruckman's Night of the Twisters (HarperCollins, 1984) might be disappointed that the focus is not the nonstop action caused by the fire but the people. Other readers will find satisfaction in Meg's growing ability to function effectively within her family. The incendiary nature of her meddling early on is like the sparks that fly in the prologue, mild hints that deeper trouble is ahead. While neither as grippingly suspenseful as Levin's Brother Moose (1990) nor as intriguing as her mellow, quiet Starshine and Sunglow (1994, both Greenwillow), Fire in the Wind is an appealing combination of history and adventure. It just doesn't quite live up to the promise of the first few paragraphs.?Carol A. Edwards, Minneapolis Public LibraryCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review "A sensitive and beautifully told adventure." --
