When World War II threatens the people of London, Tally’s father and her aunts insist that she attend a boarding school in the country. Tally does not want to leave her family and go to a stuffy boarding school, but she is soon caught in the spell of Delderton. This is a boarding school where children are encouraged to ‘find themselves and be themselves.’ No one is forced to wear uniforms or even attend class.
With the friends Tally meets, she organizes a group to attend an international folk dancing festival in the country of Bergania (fictional). At the festival, Tally meets and befriends the crown prince of Bergania. Their friendship becomes very important when the Nazis kill Bergania’s king and Tally and her friends must save Prince Karil. This story is filled with adventure as well as strong messages about the importance of trust in friendship. It is perfect for tween readers and older.
My only complaint with the book is the fictional country of Bergania. Ibbotson holds to the culture and feel of the World War II era, but the fictional country takes away from the historical fiction aspect. The story is still entertaining and well told, but not to be counted on as pure historical fiction.
Recommended for ages 10-13.
Jamie will do almost anything to fit in, including bleaching her hair and wearing blue contacts to disguise her Lebanese-Muslim background. At school, she tries to be a normal Aussie teenager with nothing that makes her stand out. At home, Jamie’s real name is Jamilah. She plays in an Arabic band, enjoys Lebanese food, and wears a hijab. Jamie’s double life forces her to keep her distance from friends in an attempt to hide her identity. When friends start to ask questions, she has to decide who she really is and who she will allow the world to see.
When Fer saves a strange dog from an attack by wolves, she is introduced to an amazing new realm. It is a world where she finally feels she belongs, but also feels terribly wrong. When Fer saves Rook, she also opens the Way to a fairy realm. In this new land, she meets strange creatures and experiences enchanting adventures. Fer soon learns the Lady of the Land is no true lady, but one who has used evil to perpetuate her power. In the end, it is up to Fer to make things right and bring true magic to the land.
It is the summer of 1910 and wildfires are raging through northern Idaho and Montana. Sixteen-year-old Jarrett Logan signs on to fight the fires and is forced to quickly grow up in ways he never imagined. Private Seth Brown learns the army is much more frightening work and less glory when his division is assigned to fight the fires. Lizbeth Whitcomb realizes the true beauty of the wilderness as she sees it burning before her eyes. Through these perspectives, Ingold shows the bravery and the horror that characterized what is now known as ‘the Big Burn.’
A brilliant, modern rendering of Francis Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden. Ellen Potter manages to capture nearly all the elements of the classic children’s story, but weaves her details so deftly that the story remains alive and new. Like the garden in the story, Potter breathes life into a wonderful tale of hope and healing.
Sammy Keyes amuses herself by observing the world outside her Gram’s apartment through binoculars. Her sightings are common until one day Sammy witnesses a burglary in the Heavenly Hotel across the street. When she tries to report her findings, no one wants to listen to a middle schooler turned sleuth. However, the burglar is on to Sammy and she has to use her wits to solve the crime and prove her evidence.
Another Pan is a much darker version of Peter Pan placed in a more modern age with hints of Egyptian mythology sprinkled throughout. Wendy and John Darling are students at Marlowe, an elitist New York high school, because their father is a member of the faculty. They are embarrassed by their father’s obsession with Egyptology until they begin working on a special exhibit arranged for the school. They meet Peter, a mysterious new RA, and his gang of boys who refer to themselves as the LBs. Soon Wendy and John are swept up in Peter’s quest to find ‘bone dust’, a dust in the bones of certain mummies and purported to bring eternal life. Strangely, these bones are found in a part of the Egyptian underworld that has relocated to beneath the Marlowe school.
