title: A Small Free Kiss in the Dark
author:  Glenda Millard 
description: Starred Review. Grade 6&ndash;8&mdash;Millard's latest offering is a touching story of paradoxes&mdash;destruction and beauty, war and love, homelessness and family. Skip is a runaway foster child living on the streets when an explosion overturns the Dumpster in which he is sleeping. War has broken out, and he finds himself in a city of broken buildings and terrified survivors. He and his friend Billy, a resourceful and kindhearted homeless man, attempt to escape the chaos and avoid enemy soldiers by hiding in an abandoned amusement park. Joined by an orphan boy and a teenage mother, they huddle in the House of Horrors while the world collapses around them. Through it all, Skip comforts himself by drawing chalk pictures and thinking about his favorite works of art. He narrates with an artist's attention to detail and rich use of visual metaphor, depicting horrific scenes of bombing and devastation in poetic and surprising language. He finds beauty in everything, particularly in his companions, who become his longed-for surrogate family. Skip's optimism against the apocalyptic background lends the story a haunting quality that is not to be easily forgotten.&mdash;<I>Emma Burkhart, Springside School, Philadelphia, PA</I> <BR>Copyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  LORD CARLTON’S KISS
  
  “Oh, blast!” Roma exclaimed as she realized her elegantly arranged curls had
  managed to become entangled in the wooden archway.
  
  “Hold still,” Lord Carlton commanded, loosening his grip on her waist to
  inspect her tangled curls. “I fear you have made a devilish mess of this, my
  dear.”
  
  She sucked in a sharp breath, far too conscious of his nearness. “Could you
  please just untangle me?” she demanded.
  
  “Patience, Roma,” he murmured, gently pulling at her uncooperative locks.
  
  “Surely it cannot be that difficult?”
  
  He gave her a slow smile. “Actually, it is quite difficult. How am I to
  concentrate when I am being so throughly distracted by that enticing scent of
  honeysuckle?”
  
  “My lord …”
  
  “Giles,” he corrected in low tones.
  
  “Are you going to assist me or not?”
  
  His breath sweetly brushed her cheek as he gave a last tug. “There. You are
  free.”
  
  Thoroughly unnerved, she waited for him to step back so that they could resume
  their circuit to the house.