The Mourning Emporium

Gr 4–6—This tongue-in-cheek, quirky sequel to The Undrowned Child (Delacorte, 2011) begins promisingly. Teodora Gasperin becomes aware that evil Tiepolo is back as Venice is invaded by ice and floods. As Teo joins her friend Renzo on a floating orphanage for boys, it becomes clear that Tiepolo's plot is wide-ranging, involving the destruction of Venice, the usurpation of the British throne once Queen Victoria has died, the use of monsters such as the Vampire Eel, and the kidnapping of scientists. While the writing is often inventive and interesting, and the tone at times appealingly slapstick, the characters are less so, with the exception of the exceedingly nasty Miss Uish. The London scenes are vividly described, but the street dialect of the homeless children will be a challenge for American readers. The plot is exciting but the many byways sometimes add up to a meandering feeling. This novel will mostly be enjoyed by fans of the first book.Sue Giffard Ethical Culture Fieldston School, New York City