- a fearless & spirited 10-year-old finds herself at war with the terrorizing matron of the orphanage
- quick to defend and protect the helpless, Margaret’s reckless decisions lead her and her friends on quite the adventure
- convo: various punishments mentioned (always in retrospect): beatings, strokes on the hand, locked into a cupboard that has beetles; Margaret’s thoughts are always on the dramatic side as she assumes the matron wants to kill her; children struggle with hunger at the orphanage; some lying; mentions wine and pipe smoking; a man loses patience with a boy and calls him, “You demon child…”; townspeople think 3 kids killed themselves by drowning (they didn’t and readers always know they didn’t); a good luck charm is mentioned
- no language concerns to note
Type: chapter book
Ages: 9-12
Author: Noel Streatfeild
Margaret truly has many good adults in her life, but sometimes they are not as near as we would wish! She’s not quite an orphan but has to go live as one. The POV is most often from her, and readers will be tickled by her dramatic thoughts and impulses.
I am eager to read its sequel for two reasons. First, to clear up the cliffhanger Streatfeild left me on! Second, to see if Margaret matures a little. Her story doesn’t have to be converted into a moralistic one, that’s not what I’m saying, but I am a little on edge with how self-focused the main theme was. She is determined, at all cost, to make a name for herself. To be /somebody/. This could go in multiple directions, so I’d like to see where Streatfeild takes us.
For those who love literary connections, here were some titles mentioned in the narrative:
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Carroll)
- David Copperfield (Dickens)
- A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
- Bleak House (Dickens)
- Ivanhoe (Scott)
- Kenilworth (Scott)
- Little Lord Fantleroy (Burnett)
Overall, the book was quite enjoyable and would make a memorable family read-aloud or a good gift book. Happy reading!