The Rabbit Girl

Gr 6–9—Two different stories converge, one contemporary, the other set during the London Blitz, to bring old and young together in a shared family past. When Mallie takes an after-school job in a pet store owned by a retired veterinarian, it also leads to some commissioned artwork for her single mother, an artist. Mallie's purchase of an old framed sketch of a girl and rabbit makes a perfect present for her mum, but when a dinner brings mother and daughter together with the pet-shop owner and his middle-aged son, the gifted piece of art attracts some consternation and intrigue. The vet recognizes the drawing as something he received as a child from a mysterious Mrs. H, and his upsetting reaction prompts Mallie to find out more about it. She eventually learns that the artist is Beatrix Potter, who not only knew the man as a child, but also spent time with Mallie's grandmother during the war. Alternating chapters take readers through the separate stories of a boy's wartime experiences opposite a very modern London girl's lifestyle. Both children experience parallel situations of uncertainty and stress. The young future vet must leave his parents to live in an unknown rural setting, longing for some familiarity and companionship. Mallie strives to help her mother's unemployment and subsequent depression. A well-crafted British import with believable characterization, realism, and a suspenseful story arc.—Rita Soltan, Youth Services Consultant, West Bloomfield, MI