Adeline isn’t an ordinary girl. She’s extremely intelligent and insatiably curious. She likes reading and setting up experiments with her maman in the lab. She likes adult company and don’t really need other children. Girls like her need heroes too.
These days she might have been called a nerd and she certainly highly intelligent with all that entails. In 1913 intelligence was neither looked for nor particularly desired in girls. They were supposed to be obedient and become wives and mothers. Luckily for Adeline her family is much like her, so she is allowed to be herself.
The book is about her adventure and thoughts. How she meets the world. What she thinks about people. It’s about small communities and how people feel about each other and about death, and what you do and don’t do. About doing the right thing, because that is important. It’s about decisions, reason and reasoning. About family and choices and responsibility and when to ask for help. Probably hopelessly out of fashion but something everybody needs. The more children think, the more they need to know. Including that they are perfectly good enough just the way they are, and there are other people like them. Luckily for Adeline, her family is special too.
If the world is overwhelming because you notice too much, leaving it for a trip back in time exploring a manor house and a few smuggler’s caves might bring some quiet enjoyment. You can go on your own with a girl who enjoys being on her own.
For middle graders and kids who’d like to go on a journey without being paced and who aren’t too keen on being scared.
Feel free to contact me with questions. Also I’ll be happy do do online sessions with you, reading groups or school classes.