Anne Nesbet

Anne Nesbet has a gift for description and showing the world through eleven-year-old Gusta's eyes. If nothing else was excellent about The Orphan Band of Springdale (and a lot is!), I would give high marks just for how much I appreciated the writing. Nesbet very carefully makes sure that the reader only knows what Gusta knows, whether they're details that her poor vision can't make out or more complicated grown-up things that simply take experience to know. Surely the reader might be able to show more guess, because the clues are there for Gusta, too, and I like that a young person revisiting the book can see how they fit together.

The story is about a lot of things, but I think the central themes are just two: xenophobia, and embarking on the transition from child to teenager. This is a novel for middle grade kids, so the second theme is fairly standard, and both themes are reinforced in throughout the book.

A third theme, which I really liked seeing, is about worker's rights and fair labor. It is tied into the xenophobia and growing up themes, since it is the reason Gusta's German father, a union organizer and activist, has gone away and it is (unfortunately) a wishful idealism that leads Gusta to begin understanding how capricious and ugly adults can be. I'm happy that she never stops believing that people should be treated fairly, but of course grown-ups don't always like to do that.

A motif that plays throughout the story is vision. It's literal: Gusta is extremely myopic, and needs a custom lens prescription, but the 5th grade classroom has a 7 Points Health program where good vision is one of the requirements to be a Patriotic American. She helps the town's oculist with dusting and the accounts to work off the debt. It's also metaphorical: the children of the town write essays on A Vision of America for a contest; the oculist has a hobby of messenger pigeons and is training them to carry tiny cameras; Gusta's great grandfather was a sea captain who built a lighthouse folly in the middle of the Maine woods, far from the ocean.

I loved this book and feel that the 1941 setting is highly relevant to children today, but also interesting for being historical fiction. The writing is rich and thoughtful, and the ultimate take-away about keeping hope and working hard to correct injustices is vital for everyone. show less

Fun! Reads like an old-fashioned movie serial. Set in 1914, when movies were very young and silent only. Darleen Darling, 12, has been a movie star for a few years, acting in films her family's studio produces. She does all the action, hanging off cliffs, tied to railroad tracks, etc. When her staged kidnapping--to drum up publicity for the studio--goes haywire and she's kidnapped FOR REAL, along with an heiress girl her age, the action ramps up off the screen too. It's really cute, the show more girls gain self-confidence and form a friendship as they try to outfox the shifty relatives who want a ransom for the heiress girl, who happens to look a lot like Darleen. Great look at the early history of silent moviemaking, when movies were still made in New Jersey and not in Hollywood California. show less

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley.

Daring Darleen is the kind of middle grade historical fiction novel I adored as a kid, and still love as an adult. It takes an oft-ignored time and place in history--early 1910s New York City and New Jersey, about the pre-Hollywood film hotspot of Fort Lee--and brings it to life with a vivid young heroine. The author absolutely did her research. The places feel real, and the details about the early silent era are spot-on. Women and girls show more played a huge role then--more so than they do even now--and this book demonstrates that without ever being preachy. I loved the surprise presence of a very-real early film powerhouse of a role model, too.

Darleen is a child star. Her theater family moved to doing photoplays early on, and Darleen has grown up on film. At age 12, she's the star of her own action serials, and does all of the stunts that her hare-brained family dreams up. However, she's not so sure when they resolve to drum up publicity by faking her kidnapping at one of her serial premieres. Even more bizarre, her fake kidnapping becomes real when she gets involved with the genuine kidnapping of an heiress her own age. The two become fast friends as they foil the kidnapping--for now--and discover a wider conspiracy that involves Darleen's own studio.

The book is a fast read thanks to loads of action plus twists and turns. Darleen is a great character. I was annoyed, though, that the vast majority of the adult characters are outright obnoxious, Darleen's family in particular. It becomes grating quite quickly when no adults listen to her, ever. The villains in the book are also lack all nuance, and even more, stand out because of the physical differences, such as having pointed ears and one-eye.

Even so, I highly recommend the book to young lovers of historical fiction. Here's hoping it provokes interest in silent movies! show less

This is a charming and beautifully written book that doesn’t shy away from difficult topics such as war, prejudice and poverty. Despite these heavy themes, Nesbet’s bright, subtly humorous tone and vivid language keep the story tripping along at an upbeat pace. Gusta is a treasure, that rare child character who has a good heart without coming across as saccharine or implausible. But doing the right thing might mean giving up her most valued possession—-her French horn—-unless she can show more find the magical Wish that her great-grandfather hid in his home-turned-orphanage. As Gusta navigates grade-school challenges along with the thorny secrets of adults, she makes friends along the way who complement her pluck and determination. An excellent read for any child looking for a meaningful and entertaining story featuring a strong female character. show less