Author (last name first):
Stone, Phoebe
Publisher, Date of Publication:
Author A. Levine Books/2011
Grade Level/ or Age Level:
4th and Up
Classification:
Fiction
In 1941, eleven-year-old Felicity Bathburn Budwig's world is turned upside down when she is taken to her grandmother's in Bottlebay, ME becuse of the bombings in London. She slowly adjusts to her new family, including Uncle Gideon, who teaches sixth grade at the local school; Aunt Miami, who lives and breaths Shakespeare; "The Gram," Felicity's grandmother; and Captain Derek, twelve-year old adopted orphan whose dreams of military service have been dashed by having a mild case of polio which leaves one arm paralyzed.
She deals with the change by talking to her stuffed bear Wink and writing letters that can never be delivered to her parents because of the war. Felicity's homesickness only gets worse when she discovers her parents are writing her uncle letters and not her. She decides she will sneak into her uncle's office and copy the letters before he catches her but finds a new obstacle to overcome when the letters are written in code. She enlists Derek's help to decode the letters and figure out the clues to her parents whereabouts; in doing so she learns of some deep family secrets that involve her mother and her uncle Gideon.
The story is written in first person though Felicity's experiences. While I liked the story and was intrigued to find out whether Felicity's mother and father come home or not, I found it hard to read at times because the author often stops and explains what normal British children are like in the middle of a paragraph. The book would be great to use as a lesson on war in 1941. There is an AR test available for this book as well.
Reviewed By: Lila Davis (Night Circulation Manager/ Midwestern State University)
No comments:
Post a Comment