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ROOM FOR A STRANGER

Name: ROOM FOR A STRANGER
Author: Ann Turnbull
ISBN: 1-56402-868-2

by Ann Turnbull ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 1996

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During WW II, Rhoda, 13, comes to live with the Dyers. Doreen, 12, once thought it would be fun to have an London evacuee in the house, but her resentment builds when Rhoda proves to be a lot more sophisticated and talented than she is. Rhoda takes over all the things that are important to Doreen, even taking her place in the adults' affections. When Doreen finally explodes with hurtful and hateful words, Rhoda runs away, without any clear idea of where she should go. Doreen, sensibly, resolves to find Rhoda, with nearly disastrous consequences for both of them. Turnbull (Too Tired, 1994, etc.) pens a solid coming-of-age story; although it's a foregone conclusion that the girls will become friends, it doesn't detract from a vibrant picture of preadolescent angst against the backdrop of war. (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: May 1, 1996

ISBN: 1-56402-868-2

Page Count: 112

Publisher: Candlewick

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
FORGED IN THE FIRE
by Ann Turnbull

- BOOK REVIEW
TOO TIRED
by Ann Turnbull & illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

- BOOK REVIEW
SPEEDWELL
by Ann Turnbull

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THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE

by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 8, 2024

A rich, enthralling historical mystery that engages and educates.

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Siblings decode familial and wartime secrets in 1940 England.

Headstrong 14-year-old Lizzie Novis refuses to believe that her mother, a U.S. embassy clerk who was working in Poland, is dead. After fleeing from her grandmother—who’s attempting to bring her back to America—Lizzie locates her 19-year-old brother, Jakob, a Cambridge mathematician who’s stationed at the clandestine British intelligence site called Bletchley Park. Hiding from her grandmother’s estate steward, Lizzie becomes a messenger at Bletchley Park, ferrying letters across the grounds while Jakob attempts to both break the ciphers generated by the German Enigma machines and help his sister face the reality of their mother’s likely fate. With a suspicious MI5 agent inquiring about Mum and clues and codes piling up, the siblings, whose late father was “Polish Jewish British,” eventually decipher the truth. Shared narrative duties between the siblings effectively juxtapose the measured Jakob with the spirited Lizzie. Lizzie’s directness is repeatedly attributed to her being “half American,” which proves tiresome, but Jakob’s development from reserved to risk-tolerant provides welcome nuance. The authors introduce and carefully explain a variety of decoding methodologies, inspiring readers to attempt their own. A thoughtful and entertaining historical note identifies the key figures who appear in the book, such as Alan Turing, as well as the real-life bases for the fictional characters. Interspersed photos and images of ephemera help situate the narrative’s time period.

A rich, enthralling historical mystery that engages and educates. (Historical mystery. 10-14)