The Four Seasons of Lucy McKenzie

Gr 4–6—Lucy's older sister has a terrible accident while at college in Paris, so her mother and father leave Lucy alone with Aunt Big in a valley of the outback for Christmas and the summer holidays. Lucy's aunt Big is strange and gruff, and Lucy is lonely and afraid for her sister. When the protagonist discovers that she can walk through the wall paintings in the living room, she goes on an amazing adventure with a girl named April who looks just like Lucy. Who is April, and why does her version of the valley look so different from Lucy's version? Lucy learns that not everyone is as they seem and that family ties run deep. As she learns to speak up for herself and to enjoy new things, she and aunt Big become closer. A sweet, slow-paced, coming-of-age story with magical and historical elements. Kids will love the Australian differences as well as the fantastical themes. Recommended to fans of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden.—Terry Ann Lawler, Burton Barr Library, Phoenix, AZ