Review by Booklist Review
Bo Delafort has always felt a special connection with the River Thames, so when the river actually talks to her one day, she is bewildered--and rewarded with the find of a lifetime: a jewel-encrusted miniature moon buried in the river's muddy banks. Bo knows that its sale would bring a pretty penny and ease her mother's worries, especially with her older brother heading off to war in France, but she's just as certain that it should never be sold. A run-in with a mysterious mudlarking boy and a menacing man desperate for the treasure confirms her suspicions that there's more to the find than meets the eye, and she's soon trying to unscramble a secret that stretches centuries into the past. The clever caper takes readers on a wonderful whirlwind tour of 1910s London, skillfully balancing sentiment with suspense. There are touches of enchantment and amusing antics aplenty, though there are also thoughtful discussions of love and loss along the way. A magical mystery that reveals the rewards of digging a little deeper into life.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
While mudlarking in London, 12-year-old Bo Delafort is guided by the mystical voice of the River Thames to a jewel resembling the moon. Spying on Bo is orphaned Billy River, also 12; upon meeting, the tweens experience a connection "as if they had stepped into a current meant only for the two of them." Bo is later approached by a man named Dr. Frederick Muncaster, who offers her money for the jewel, which he calls the Eclipsing Moon. Even though her family could use the funds, as her brother was deployed to fight in the Great War, she heeds the river's advice and flees. Witnessing the doctor's schemes to obtain the treasure, Billy--who is Muncaster's kitchen boy--vows to protect both Bo and the river. The duo's search for the Eclipsing Moon's missing complementary sun jewel and a long-lost magical ballad provide them with insight into events occurring 500 years ago. While Bo and Billy lack agency and the plotting is somewhat transparent, memorable characters and a distinct setting prove plenty engaging in this quiet tale from Burton (The House of Fortune, for adults). The cast cues as white. Ages 8--11. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Mushens Entertainment. (June)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In 1918, a 12-year-old girl finds a jewel in the mud of the River Thames that changes her life. Bo Delafort is a mudlark--she sifts through the mud on the banks of the Thames for odds and ends that she can sell. One day, hearing the river speak to her--"Now!…Put your hands in now!"--she finds a round silver object studded with rubies and pearls and engraved with illegible writing. When she holds the precious item, it shows her a perplexing vision. Then Bo meets a mysterious boy named Billy, who's her age, on the riverbanks; later she discovers that the Thames has spoken to him also. The two learn that there's another jewel--the Brightest Sun, which is a mate to Bo's Eclipsing Moon--and also that another person is seeking them. As the friends unearth the story of the jewels' history, they learn the part they each play in their own destinies. While the plot is inventive and intriguing, the presentation is uneven. Some aspects of the characterization skim the surface, although the in-depth detailing of grief (Bo's older brother has just gone off to war) and some moral ambiguities surrounding the behavior of Bo's teacher, Miss Cressant, strike a too-adult note for the intended readership. The result is an uneasy mixture: a story that is thin in places yet feels too complex in others. Characters present white. An intriguing concept with an unclear audience.(Historical fantasy. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
