SUSPECT RED, by L.M. Elliot

The story: Richard's dad works for the FBI, and the FBI is helping Senator Joe McCarthy hunt down Commies. Richard wants his dad to succeed, but what price is he willing to pay? Is Vlad's mother a Commie spy, or just a woman with a couple of shady friends? Will he sacrifice his friendship with Vlad to give Hoover a suspect to chase? And what if he's WRONG?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (McCarthyism vs. patriotism) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Here's a story about a part of US history most kids aren't familiar with--yet it has strange overtones of what's going on in our own times, and should help open their eyes to tactics used by self-serving politicians seeking to gain power over an audience. Hand it to any kid willing to read historical fiction.