Voyage of the Sparrowhawk

August 15, 2021
English orphans attempt a perilous Channel crossing in 1919. Thirteen-year-old Ben's father was killed while visiting Ben's injured soldier brother in a French field hospital. Now Ben has received a telegram: Sam is missing, possibly dead. The family friend he's stayed with is leaving for Wales, but he doesn't want to go with her. To avoid being sent back to the bleak orphanage he and Sam were adopted from, Ben lies, saying he got word that Sam will soon return. He moves back with his dog to the Sparrowhawk, the family's narrowboat home, and there finds Lotti hiding with a stolen Chihuahua. Twelve-year-old Lotti, expelled from the wretched boarding school her despicable aunt and uncle exiled her to, is trying to protect the dog she's stolen from its abusive owner. The lonely, unlikely pair bond. Since Albert, the local constable, will shortly uncover Ben's lie and Lotti will be sent away to another school, they set off for France on the Sparrowhawk, hoping to find Sam and Lotti's French grandmother. The determined pair navigate canal locks and the Thames before attempting to reach Calais, all the while pursued by Albert. In addition to the dogs' pivotal roles, Ben and Lotti are aided by a fascinating series of supportive adults as they attempt the impossible. Descriptive prose captures the bucolic canal boat life, tempestuous Channel crossing, and numbing devastation of postwar France. Main characters are cued as White. Inspiring, memorable, and adventurous: classic storytelling. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

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October 4, 2021
In 1919, post-WWI, two cued-white English children struggle to find family and peace. Twelve-year-old Ben’s adoptive father died eight months earlier in a hospital bombing in France while visiting Ben’s older brother Sam, a wounded soldier who goes missing soon after their father’s death. Newly back from boarding school, Lotti, also 12, feels alone in her own home, emotionally abused and neglected by her guardians. When Ben and Lotti meet, they swiftly become friends, and when circumstances turn sour, the two set forth for France aboard Ben’s narrowboat, the Sparrowhawk, in search of Sam. Pursued by a resourceful policeman, they must enlist the help of unlikely allies in order to survive the near-impossible trip across the English Channel, braving dangerous waters and sudden storms. Employing a quiet voice reminiscent of classics with a hint of humor (“And a terrible thing happened, but... If they had stayed, there would be no story”), Farrant (Eight Princesses and a Magic Mirror) pits resilient protagonists against numerous obstacles and setbacks, balancing loss and grief with joy and optimism in a lively adventure that wholeheartedly embraces the concept of found family. Ages 8–12. Agent: Allison Hellegers, Stimola Literary.

October 15, 2021
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* In England, shortly after WWI ends, two determined young people refuse to accept their future prospects (a grim orphanage for Ben; cruel guardians for Lotti), and instead, decide to risk their lives by secretly taking Ben's not-exactly-seaworthy narrowboat across the English Channel to France. The runaways' goal is to find Ben's older brother, declared "missing" by the War Office. Secretly, Lotti also hopes to find her beloved French grandmother, though the girl unexpectedly received no letters from her during the war. As they travel, the young adventurers find unexpected allies, face challenges with courage, and deal with Ben's dog having puppies. From Ben and Lotti to the tutor who befriends them and the policeman who pursues them, many characters have lost loved ones, yet the tone of this post-wartime narrative is uplifted by the wit and humanity of the writing. The novel becomes increasingly compelling as the journey progresses and the gap between its probable outcome and the young protagonists' hopes grows wider. Each setback heightens the stakes in their improbable quest, while every positive plot twist seems right and inevitable within its context. With promising maps at the opening, many lovable characters, and first-rate storytelling, this chapter book offers a captivating reading experience.

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