(2) 4-6 Because of a (fictional) traditional rhyme that claims--or threatens--six motherless sisters' destinies according to birth order, their violent, often-drunk Dadder trades the beautiful eldest, Grace, as wife in exchange for a horse. When Grace escapes to avoid her fate and disappears with the seasonal fair, Willa, the second sister, sets off to fetch her back. Pursued by Dadder and his nasty fiancé, Willa and the horse traverse marsh and mire to retrieve Grace and, somehow, persuade Dadder to undo her betrothal. But Willa can't find Grace with the fair: could it be she has become prey to the fabled Marsh King? Strange (The Ghost of Midnight Lake, rev. 3/22) draws on the horror of folktales of Britain's Romney Marsh in this quasi-medieval gothic fantasy. Girls are at the mercy of their fathers; reading is suspect; clever, articulate elders are punished with the ducking stool or murdered as witches. The story has a strong "and then" quality, as Willa rides off now here, now there; there's a certain ebullience (vigorously enhanced by the irrepressible youngest sisters), a handful of mysteries, and plenty of mire-y, marsh-lit atmosphere to keep readers immersed.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) 4-6 This quickly paced gothic tale takes us to England's Lake District, 1899. Twelve-year-old Lady Agatha Asquith's elderly father has just died, and the new Earl of Gosswater, her sleazy cousin Clarence, summarily boots Aggie from her home. Even more outrageously, Aggie is told that the old earl wasn't really her father; in his will he decreed that she now live with her birth father, Thomas, a farmer she has never met. And even as she struggles to adjust to her new status, and learns to respect and trust Thomas, she's pursued and tormented by Clarence. He's certain Aggie knows the whereabouts of the legendary Gosswater opals and will perform any cruelty to get them. The story is stuffed with wintry adventures in small boats, icy treks over mountain passes, rose-fragrant visitations from a ghostly maiden, and ill-advised schemes. Characters are sharp, extreme, and sometimes colorfully eccentric, and the action moves toward an explosive and unpredictable finish. At heart, though, this is the tale of Aggie finding a loving family and friends, at last.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2022

(2) 4-6 On England's southeast coast, where Pa tends a lighthouse, Petra lives an idyllic childhood until WWII begins. Then Pet's German mother is interned as an enemy alien--the first of many upsets and mysteries for Pet. This is historical fiction, but it reads like an old-fashioned detective adventure, complete with a secret smugglers' tunnel and attempted murder. Vivid writing and an intense, intrepid heroine provide substance and charge.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(2) 4-6 In 1919, twelve-year-old Hen's family moves to an English country house to recover from the recent death of Hen's brother. Then Hen meets a thin, ragged woman living in nearby Nightingale Wood. Might she be someone who understands Mama's incapacitating grief? Suspense and uncertainty build inexorably in this satisfying story; Hen's avid reading of fairy tales, Keats, and Victorian children's books enhances the narrative's rich literary texture.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2018