Starred Review The year is 1940, and German air strikes on London are looming. After their formidable, wealthy grandmother's funeral, orphans William (12 years old), Edmund (11), and Anna (9) Pearce learn that they will be evacuated to a village where (the solicitor charged with their welfare hopes) they might find a permanent home. They live with a butcher's family until Edmund retaliates against one of the bullying sons by placing a dead snake in his bed. A desperately poor mother with four young children takes them in but barely feeds them. Their only refuge is the lending library, where they find a warm fire, good books, and kind words. After their short-tempered caretaker slaps Edmund, the children strike out on their own and unexpectedly find a new home on Christmas Eve. Albus achieves a great deal in her first novel. While the Pearces' initially bleak situation is firmly rooted in classic children's books (a bibliography of their reading choices is appended), the narrative is fresh, lively, and captivating. The characters are drawn with conviction and a good deal of empathy. Lit by wit and humanity, the novel offers a heartening story in which three resourceful children keep a secret, find what they long for, and treasure it.

Three plucky orphan siblings are in search of a mother in wartime England.When their grandmother dies, 12-year-old William, 11-year-old Edmund, and 9-year-old Anna are left in London in the care of an elderly housekeeper. As part of the World War II evacuation of children to safety, they are relocated to the countryside, something the family solicitor hopes may lead to finding adoptive parents. However, they are billeted with the Forresters, an unpleasant family reminiscent of the Dursleys. Bullying by their hosts' two sons, who despise them; the ever present fear of German attack; and the dread of homelessness test their mettle to the limit. The orphans long to find a home of their own, and good boy William is stressed by his responsibility as head of the small family. Edmund's desire for revenge against the Forresters and a prank involving a snake get them evicted from their billet, and they end up in a much worse situation. They find sanctuary in the village library and a savior in the librarian, who is married to a German and therefore ostracized by the locals. Mrs. Müller provides them with moral support, a listening ear, and true appreciation and love. The classic books she chooses for them-The Wind in the Willows and Anne of Green Gables, among others-may generate ideas for further reading. All characters are White.A wartime drama with enough depth and psychological complexity to satisfy budding bookworms. (reading list) (Historical fiction. 12-16)