A moving story showing that even the smallest sparks of resistance can ignite change.
During World War II, a girl becomes embroiled with the French Resistance; in the present day, another girl investigates her story.
In November 1943, 13-year-old Marie Bonnet and her older sister, Héloise, are living alone in Nazi-occupied Paris. Their father was ordered to go work in Germany earlier that year, and their mother died long ago. When Marie discovers that Héloise has been working for the Resistance, she jumps at the chance to help too. She’s initially assigned small tasks, like leaving flyers on park benches, but her responsibilities soon escalate to transporting artwork to hide from the Nazis. In the contemporary timeline, Penny Marks has recently (and begrudgingly) moved with her family from Wisconsin to Paris for her art historian mother’s one-year teaching fellowship. While accompanying Mom to a work site where a mysterious painting has been found within a wall, Penny discovers and secretly takes a letter that’s hidden behind the plaster. She’s intrigued to discover that it alludes to Marie’s involvement in the Resistance, and she begins researching what happened. In alternating chapters, both white-presenting girls learn of the ripple effects that seemingly small actions can have. The parallel storylines are well-paced and engaging, although Penny’s arc incorporates multiple topics—defunding the arts, a terrorist attack, her brother’s health scare, friendship drama—that would have benefited from further development.
A moving story showing that even the smallest sparks of resistance can ignite change. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Feb. 17, 2026
ISBN: 9780063321786
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart.
A boy who visits a little free library gets more than he bargained for when he becomes a sleuth caught up in the middle of his town’s most enduring mystery.
Ever since a tragic fire destroyed the Martinville Library, the town has been left without a place to borrow books. That is, until a little free library suddenly pops up, guarded by a fluffy orange cat named Mortimer. Fifth grader Evan McClelland selects two books from its shelves. Inside them he finds puzzling clues that lead him to chase down the real story behind the library fire. The book is told from multiple perspectives, including those of Evan, Mortimer, and ghost librarian Al, who perished in the blaze and is responsible for the upkeep of the little free library. Evan’s tenacious and curious character is relatable. His relationship with likable best friend Rafe, a brave, kind boy with overprotective parents, is easily one of the most endearing parts of the story. The puzzle over the library fire, a secret involving Evan’s family, a popular writer’s connection to Martinville, and the supernatural elements are presented in ways that are just right for middle-grade readers. The pacing is strong, and the twists and turns are satisfying even if perceptive readers may catch hints of the ultimate truth along the way. Physical descriptions of the human characters are largely absent.
A page-turner with striking characters and a satisfying puzzle at its heart. (Mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2023
ISBN: 9781250838810
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and...
Catrina narrates the story of her mixed-race (Latino/white) family’s move from Southern California to Bahía de la Luna on the Northern California coast.
Dad has a new job, but it’s little sister Maya’s lungs that motivate the move: she has had cystic fibrosis since birth—a degenerative breathing condition. Despite her health, Maya loves adventure, even if her lungs suffer for it and even when Cat must follow to keep her safe. When Carlos, a tall, brown, and handsome teen Ghost Tour guide introduces the sisters to the Bahía ghosts—most of whom were Spanish-speaking Mexicans when alive—they fascinate Maya and she them, but the terrified Cat wants only to get herself and Maya back to safety. When the ghost adventure leads to Maya’s hospitalization, Cat blames both herself and Carlos, which makes seeing him at school difficult. As Cat awakens to the meaning of Halloween and Day of the Dead in this strange new home, she comes to understand the importance of the ghosts both to herself and to Maya. Telgemeier neatly balances enough issues that a lesser artist would split them into separate stories and delivers as much delight textually as visually. The backmatter includes snippets from Telgemeier’s sketchbook and a photo of her in Día makeup.
Telgemeier’s bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 13, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-54061-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2016
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