Girl next door . . . or Mayan sorceress ?Martika Gflvez's "To Do" list:1. Research final project for art classndash;on the jaguar2. Study the arts of telepathy (ESP) and pyrokinesis (starting fires at will)3. Build an altar and pray to Mayan deities4. Use psychic powers to recover stolen ancient statue and help rescue abducted teen girl...5. and convince Mom I'm really studying at the libraryIntroducing Martika Gflvez, the Latina Nancy Drew of the new millennium.Ages 12+ Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

This first title in a planned series introduces Martika Galvez a few weeks before her 15th birthday, as she begins having "unsettling" dreams involving a jaguar, a sacred animal in Mayan mythology. When her dreams begin involving Jennifer Colton, the recently kidnapped beautiful 16-year-old daughter of Ted Colton, a trader of antiquities on the black market, Martika learns she is from a long line of curanderas ("a woman with psychic powers of divination and astral projection"). With the help of her great-great-aunt, Tia Tellin (whom neighbors in their L.A. barrio refer to as a witch), Martika unravels her dreams to find the missing sculpture that will save the kidnapped girl. Actress and singer-songwriter Greene's first novel starts with an alluring premise: a young Latina with premonitions and powers to solve mysteries and to heal. However, the book does touch on some adult themes. For example, Ted Colton's daughter is kidnapped from home, while Ted is "sprawled in bed, a generous quantity of vodka soothing his brain into a deep sleep. Beside him was a half-dressed blond woman... a party guest who had been drunk enough to be invited to stay over." But the book realistically builds suspense and also conveys Martika's struggle to sort out her feelings about her parents' separation, her quinceanera, and her growing awareness of her own gifts. Ages 12-up. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 8 Up-An intriguing mystery by the L.A. Law actress and songwriter. While Mexican-American Martika prepares for her quincea-era in a tough section of Los Angeles, she begins to have vivid and frightening nightmares that always feature a jaguar. She also dreams about a rich girl who has been kidnapped by a shady art collector; Martika is able to experience what abducted Jennifer Colton feels. With crisp dialogue liberally sprinkled with Spanish words, Greene portrays the coming of age of an unusual teen. Martika discovers that she is one of a long line of Mayan curanderas, or witches. Her growing and unusually strong powers help her to eventually solve the kidnapping case. Los Angeles is vibrantly described, with its sharply divided communities, the prevalence of drugs, and a sly bit of commentary on the residents' often superficial priorities and morals. Martika's story combines a traditional mystery told from multiple perspectives, magical realism of the Mayan world, a girl's inherited powers, and a statement on value systems. While Martika's telekinetic and pyrokinetic powers add unusual flavor to the tale, she is in many ways a typical teen. Greene introduces the tale with information about the ancient and current Mayan cultures, and the importance of magic, talismans, and shape-shifters. This unusual mystery is sure to attract teens, and should encourage them to find out more about Mayan culture.-B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Library, Sag Harbor, NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 7-10. Martika begins having strange dreams about jungles and jaguars just before her quinceanera. Her mother brings her to Tia Tellin--the neighborhood bruja, or witch, to help sort out what she sees. Martika is astonished to learn that Tia Tellin is her great aunt and that they are both descended from a long line of Mayan healers, whose powers include psychic divination. When the daughter of her mother's client is kidnapped, Martika's visions help guide the search for the missing girl. Greene is an actress and a screenwriter, and her dramatic experience is clear in her debut novel's skillfully maintained suspense and her camera-ready scenes of rescuers and villains. Readers will be equally riveted by the second, more spiritual mystery: the source and extent of Martika's special powers. Particularly well drawn are the details of Mexican American life in Martika's L.A. neighborhood and the universal, coming-of-age aches--negotiating between separated parents, fighting with a best friend, and the terror and responsibility that can come with discovering one's talents. Readers will look forward to the promised sequels in the Martika Galvez series. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2006 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.