This book is thrilling and suspenseful. It is intriguing to both kids and adults. Peg Kehret does a great job of captivating the audience and making you feel all of the emotions that Amy goes through while trying to protect herself and Kendra from their kidnappers. Great story and a wonderfully talented author.

This book is about a teenager named Amy who has learned a lot through her babysitting course. What she didn’t learn is what to do when two men show up, armed, with the intent of kidnapping. The men take Amy, and 3-year-old Kendra to an isolated cabin in the woods. They are holding Amy and Kendra for ransom from little Kenda’s wealthy family. Amy and Kendra need to escape before it’s too late. ( )

In this fast paced thriller you are taken on and adventure with Amy, Kendra, and their kidnappers. Amy is babysitting Kendra when they are taken from a home. The kidnapping goes wrong, and anything can happen. Read the book to find out how Amy tries to use her problem solving skills to try to get out of the situation unharmed. Can she do it? I recommend this book to kids in grades 4-8 (or people who enjoy books for that age group). I read this book in one day because it was so fun to read. I love that Amy is clever and comes up with some interesting ideas. I liked trying to figure out what I would do in her situation, too. ( )

A fast and enjoyable read!
Fourteen-year-old Amy Nordlund desperately regrets that morning she spent with her father. Because of a stupid, completely avoidable mistake she made, her dad postpones leaving for work to lecture her on responsibilities. Not only do they have an argument, but it also turns out to be the last thing she says to him, as he dies in a car accident on his way to work.

Somehow, Amy and her mother wade through the grief and guilt, and try to go on with their lives. Amy is determined to make up for her mistakes and prove to her father that she can be responsible. She signs up for a babysitting class in hopes of earning a bit of money to help with some of the bills. Then she lucks out and her babysitting class teacher recommends her for a new job. Three-year-old Kendra’s parents are rich; they even keep the expensive kind of ice cream in the freezer. And Kendra is a complete doll, easy to take care of, very sweet and even goes down for her nap without any fuss. But that’s when the simple part of the job ends.

Two strangers burst into the scene and kidnap Amy and Kendra. Originally, Amy hadn’t been part of the plan, but the kidnappers decide to take advantage of another ransom. They take the girls out to a remote cabin without any electricity or running water. Amy tries her best to keep Kendra clean, fed, entertained and relaxed while struggling to remain calm herself. The abductors plan to use a series of videos to increase the parents’ fear and anxiety, leading up to demanding the ransom.

Desperate to do something, Amy cleverly designs some clues to slip into the videos, hoping her mom and best friend will figure them out and pass them on to the police. But what if her clues don’t work? Amy has no doubt that Kendra’s parents will pay the ransom and Kendra will be returned. But what about Amy? Her mom has no money.

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Booktalk: (Talk about babysitting and responsibilities.) Amy took a class on how to be a good babysitter. “Amy’s babysitting course taught her basic first aid, bedtime tips and how to change a diaper, but it did not cover what to do if two thugs with a gun showed up. She had to figure that out by herself.” What would YOU do if you were AMy? How would YOU save the STOLEN CHILDREN...

Peg Kehret's villains are usually inept but not that dangerous which of course makes it easier for the child character to make empowering decisions that save the day. Plenty of suspense for the target audience but nothing too nightmarish. ( )