VOYA
This detailed account chronicles a criminal trial involving Chinese illegal aliens, beginning with double kidnappings in New York City during the summer of 1995. The defendant, accused of a brutal abduction and extortion, maintains that his friends and relatives are the guilty parties. As the prosecution calls witnesses from prison cells and the streets of Chinatown, the defense struggles to create doubt in the jurors' minds. The judge acts as jury advocate and referee, while animosity between the young, female district attorney and the older, male defense attorney escalates. When the jury is sequestered, the reader has a glimpse of the deliberation process before the verdict finally is delivered in spring of 1998. Written in dry, journalistic style, the book is designed to teach the trial process to young readers. Explanations of legal issues and terms appear in boxes alongside the text. Introductory pages provide a list of players, a procedural outline, and a chronology of the case. Teachers will be happy with the glossary and suggested further reading list. Despite the nature of the subject, there is little excitement in Trial. Alert readers, however, can learn much about the legal system. VOYA CODES: 3Q 2P M J S (Readable without serious defects; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2001, Henry Holt, 194p, Glossary, Index, Photos, Source Notes, Further Reading, Chronology. Ages 12 to 18. Reviewer: Laura C. Woodruff VOYA, February 2001 (Vol. 23, No.6)
School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-A fascinating account of a kidnapping trial in New York City involving illegal Chinese immigrants. An outline of procedures from the time a crime is committed until a verdict is reached and a chronology of this particular case set the stage for the actual account. With all the drama of a television courtroom show, the facts of the case unfold. Excerpts of real testimony plus descriptions of participants and their emotional states at all stages of the trial heighten interest and build an atmosphere of suspense. Legal concepts are clearly defined in the text and in sidebars as they arise. Not only are the lawyers' actions described but the reasons behind them are revealed as well. Photographs of the judge, lawyers, and investigators plus some of the actual photographic evidence bring the proceedings to life. The book's excellent organization and a wealth of relevant and useful supplementary material create a revealing document. Eminently readable and information rich, this absorbing work will have wide appeal.-Ann G. Brouse, Big Flats Branch Library, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
In a fascinating approach to an unusual subject for young readers, this noted non-fiction author describes the intimate details of an unusual trial. Illegal immigrants are exploited through extortion and violence in a way of life hidden from most Americans and not often prosecuted. In this case, a kidnapper is held to account for his part in holding a Chinese immigrant for ransom from his family. The question uppermost is the actual identity of the perpetrator. Having followed the case inside the courtroom and conducted interviews with many of the protagonists, Kuklin is able to offer direct quotations from the transcripts, the presiding judge, the assistant district attorney, the defense lawyer, the detectives, and some members of the jury, who give a vivid picture of the case. She also gets into the minds of the people involved as they discuss their strategies, their anxieties, and the pressures that face them: the defense lawyer is passionate in his concern for getting justice for his client; the prosecutor articulates the social responsibility she feels towards the victims. Everyone depicted represents the highest quality of behavior in a criminal courtroom. Short episodic chapters headed by a phrase from the text or a bullet or two that describe the action give the impression of a scene from the TV series Law and Order. In a feature designed not to intrude on the telling, sidebars explain points of law. Notes, a bibliography, and a glossary give suggestions for further reading and additional information on legal terminology. Photographs taken in the courtroom by the author or reproductions of ones introduced into evidence add to the authenticity of the text. A good readandan absorbing look inside a trial by jury. (Nonfiction. 12+)
