A place to hang the moon

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.

In this heartwarming debut that contains nods to British children's classics, three orphans--heirs to a fortune--join the WWII London evacuation after the death of their forbidding grandmother leaves them guardianless. Though they seek safety from the Blitz and the possibility of finding a permanent, loving home, the siblings' plight instead becomes precarious. At their first residence, responsible 12-year-old William, roguish 11-year-old Edmund, and earnest nine-year-old Anna encounter bullying from their foster siblings. At the next--a starkly impoverished billet with a harried mother of four--the children experience hunger, and the boys are forced to kill rats for extra funds. Happily, a friendship with their village's warm librarian, regarded by many with suspicion because of her absent German husband, offers solace and hope to the three. Albus infuses the closely bonded siblings' search for found family with dry humor ("Funeral receptions can be tough spots to find enjoyment"), affectionate and authentic-feeling characterization, and a plot that alludes to and aligns with the works of Enid Blyton, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and E. Nesbit. Includes a bibliography of books mentioned. Ages 9--12. (Feb.)

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.