From School Library Journal Grade 4-6. In this sequel to Ernestine and Amanda (S & S， 1996)， two African-American girls on the brink of their 11th birthdays relate their parallel experiences of attending summer camp. Neither one is anxious to go， as each of them is in the midst of coping with upheaval within her family. As the book opens， Ernestine's father has lost his job and Amanda's parents are separating. As the story develops， these universal problems subtly segue into more specific racial issues. Those new to this series will gradually realize that the setting is one of an earlier time of segregated movie theaters and swimming pools. The camps the girls attend differ as markedly as the girls themselves. Ernestine goes to an "all black" facility where the emphasis is on achievement， the rules are many， and the food is unappealing. Camp Castle， mostly white and extremely affluent， offers a completely different experience for Amanda. There is no overt discussion of race， but prejudice is present. While it is not surprising that both girls return home wiser and more self-aware， the resolution of issues at home is not pat. Readers of all backgrounds will identify with Ernestine and Amanda， their family situations， their anxieties， and their maturation. Their experiences in the context of their racial awareness will also be universally enlightening.?Starr LaTronica， Four County Library System， Vestal， NYCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information， Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From Booklist Gr. 4^-6. Belton picks up right where she left off in last year's Ernestine & Amanda. It is the summer between the fifth and sixth grades for the two African American girls. Ernestine is still battling a weight and image problem， Amanda's parents have agreed to separate， and both girls are reluctantly going to camp--Ernestine to an all-black camp and Amanda to a predominantly white one. The story is told in alternating first person as each girl experiences the struggles and joys of camp life. Even though children who didn't read the first book will probably have some difficulty picking up clues to the story's time period (the parents listen to records and go to the movie Blackboard Jungle)， Belton captures everyday life for middle-class black children during the 1950s with poignancy and freshness. The scenes in which Amanda dimly realizes that some of the white girls at camp are making fun of her are drawn with both subtlety and razor sharpness. Ernestine and Amanda don't meet much in this story， but readers can look forward to their getting together when they begin attending the same school. Susan Dove Lempke --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. See all Editorial Reviews"