From Publishers Weekly
While recuperating at her aunt's London house, an 11-year-old girl uncovers a mystery. "Wry humor and a contemporary theme make this slightly implausible tale compelling," said PW. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8AA story set in contemporary London. Eleven-year-old Lesley, recovering from an illness, is sent to live with her Aunt Amy while her mother takes a job in Cairo. Soon she meets the family next doorAbusy Mrs. Harwood, tirelessly raising money for charity, and her three unfriendly teenagers, Christopher, Robert, and Victoria. Shy Lesley pursues their friendship in order to unravel the mystery of a strange face she keeps seeing at their attic window. Finally, the teens let Lesley in on their secret: unbeknownst to their parents, they are hiding an illegal immigrant child who was going to be deported. After Lesley sneaks Erri into her aunt's house, the action speeds up, with much secrecy, smuggling of food, and close calls from suspicious adults. In a dramatic finale, Erri's presence is discovered; he ends up in a foster home, but is allowed to stay in Britain. The story is a curious mixture of the current (the illegal alien theme) and the old-fashioned (a child "recovering from illness" sent to live with relatives). Characters are lightly developed, and there is little sense of place. Even Erri's homeland is never actually named. Readers will be drawn in, however, by the mystery and the characters' self-reliance.ARuth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
