Rinaldi, Ann, Sarah's ground.

Simon & Schuster. 176p. c2004. 0-689-85924-4. $15.95. JS

Every few months, it seems. Rinaldi gives us another historical novel. This one is an unusual situation, based on a true story. It takes place during the Civil War. The main character, Sarah, is from the North, but she has taken on the job of caretaker at Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington. which lies in Confederate territory, outside of Washington, D.C.. in Virginia. She shares the job with a young man from Virginia, whose sympathies are with the Confederacy, but they determine to make Mr. Vernon neutral ground, and succeed in doing so. Of course, there is some tension as the two are attracted to each other, but they put their job of preserving Mt. Vernon above their personal lives for the duration of the war. There are some attempts to get chaperones, but generally they rely on the help and loyalty of the ex-slaves who have lived at Mt. Vernon for generations. These servants are no longer slaves because Sarah insists from the beginning on paying them wages. Most of the money that comes to Mt. Vernon is in the form of donations from soldiers visiting Washington's tomb--soldiers from both sides in the Civil War honoring the father of the country. In the course of Sarah's quests for permits, she meets Union generals and even President Lincoln himself. More interesting, however, are her day treks from Mt. Vernon into Alexandria and D.C., to sell produce raised at Mt. Vernon, all the while a witness to the confusion and chaos of northern Virginia during the war. Claire Rosser, KLIATT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.