Phoebe Stone

After I read Romeo Blue by Phoebe Stone, I wanted to read more of this author’s work. Although appropriate for middle graders, the two books that I have read so far are by no means unappealing for adults.

Louisa Terrace is 13, lives with her grandparents, and is going to a new school this year. At first, we aren’t sure why any of this is the case, except we know she is withdrawn and angry, doesn’t feel anything except resentment toward her grandparents, and has a big blockage in her show more memory. Even her two best friends, brother and sister Henderson and Reni, don’t know her secret. We gradually find out as the story progresses.

Meanwhile, Louisa (who has such a diminutive stature she calls herself “Thumbelina”) starts getting anonymous love notes from someone. She and Reni think they are from the cute pizza delivery guy, Benny McCartney. But they aren’t sure. It makes Louisa uncomfortable, but Reni tells her:

"You should be happy. I never got a letter from Justin Bieber, and I wrote him five times. I can understand not answering one letter, but five letters? It’s like rejection times five.”

The two girls decide to investigate, and ask for Henderson's help to discover if Benny is actually Louisa's secret admirer.

In spite of the serious underlying problems, there is plenty of humor, plenty of middle-grader-realism, and plenty of heart. And best of all, the book deals with a tough subject that doesn’t get magically fixed. Rather, it shows, as Louisa observes, that “some people in peril don’t get saved… and some people do…”

Evaluation: I can’t recommend this author highly enough. I love the dialogue (a bit of which is “blah blah blah” and “whatever” as it should be, for 13-year-olds!) and I love the characters. They are all imperfect, but most of them are trying hard to do the right thing, and you can’t help but love them, especially Grandma, Grandpa, Henderson and Reni. Okay, especially Henderson.

If you have a tween going through a hard time, this is a great book about dealing with hurt, anger, and loss. Even though nothing can be the way it was before, it ends in an upbeat, positive way. show less

I loved the narrator's voice in this book. A fun, beautiful read.

"All the popular kids play piccolos or flutes. I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it's because they just naturally gravitate towards that high-pitched stuck-up sound."

Genius.

This is a delightful book with such an adorable protagonist that you soon forget she is only 12 (albeit, like many tweens, going on 21). Although it apparently continues a story that began with The Romeo and Juliet Code, I had not read that book and had no trouble following this one. I regret not starting with it though, since I loved this one so much!

The setting is 1942 in Bottlebay, Maine, a fictitious place that sounds a bit like Biddeford Pool. There, the U.S. Government put up an show more observation tower during World War II to patrol Maine waters for German submarines. Citizens on Maine’s coast also had to keep their windows blackened, observe strict curfews, and were exhorted to keep vigilant. And in fact, on April 23, 1945, a U. S. Navy sub-chaser was torpedoed by a German U-boat just three miles off of Cape Elizabeth. Even before that, others had been sunk, and two German spies had come ashore in Frenchman’s Bay. Fortunately, they turned out to be venal and stupid, and ended up giving themselves away. (You can read about them here).

In the book, Flissy (Felicity) Bathburn is living with family members in Bottlebay a year or so after her parents dropped her off there from Great Britain so they could continue their undercover work in Europe. Flissy has not only not heard from “Winnie and Danny” as she calls her parents, but she just found out that her “Uncle” Gideon, with whom she now lives in Maine, is actually her father: after Flissy was born, Winnie fell in love with Gideon’s brother Danny. Flissy never knew Danny wasn’t her real father. Gideon and Danny’s mother, “The Gram,” hates Winnie for how she disrupted the family, but loves having Flissy with her. The big cozy and historic house is also home to The Gram’s daughter Miami, and Gideon’s almost-adopted son Derek.

Derek is a year older than Flissy, and Flissy has a huge crush on him. They are also good friends, but Flissy adores him:

"He seemed a bit moody today, but I rather liked moody. It could be quite dashing when hovering over someone like Derek. I would have followed Derek to the edge of the world, if he had wanted me to. And then perhaps we would have had to hold hands because it must be quite windy at the edge of the world.”

But Flissy’s life is filled with a lot more than preteen angst. So much is going that causes her to feel all mixed up. Derek is trying to find his real father, and keeping it a secret from Gideon and The Gram. Flissy thinks Gideon and The Gram are, like Winnie and Danny, also involved in spying. Aunt Miami is in love with the mailman, and the mailman may be drafted soon. And somehow, the theme of butterflies keeps recurring in a suspicious manner. Of particular significance is the Mazarine Blue, a primarily European butterfly, the male of which, Flissy avers, is also known as the Romeo blue.

As time goes on and the war heats up, so does the tension, since the war brings big changes to all of their lives. Moreover, Flissy is leaving her childhood behind her, and the ways in which she grows are so heartwarming and lovely!

Evaluation: This story does not sugarcoat what happens in war, but as it takes place in the U.S., it isn’t as harrowing as it might have been if set overseas. It's a great way for kids to get a feel for how a war fought by adults could also have an impact on their own lives, even in the relatively isolated United States.

Flissy is such a winning character that I would love to see the author do a whole series of books on her that take us with her on her journey through life, sort of like Anne of Green Gables, of whom she reminds me a lot! show less

Felicity Bathburn Budwig is only eleven years old when she must leave England in the dark of night to travel with her parents, Winnie and Danny, across the sea to America. It is 1941, bombs are dropping in England, and the journey on the boat is just as scary. Felicity has never known any other family besides Winnie and Danny. As a matter of fact, Felicity has spent much of her eleven years raising herself. She meets her family in Bottlebay, Maine and they're like nothing she could have ever show more imagined. The Gram, Uncle Gideon, Aunt Miami, and Captain Derek are a cast of characters she will have to get to know on her own, no matter how hard it is. What choice does she have when her parents leave her there all alone, with nothing but a letter to give to Uncle Gideon if they are not back by Christmas? It is so hard for Felicity to keep that letter sealed, but she knows that good English girls are trustworthy. Everything feels so different from England, and she's very happy to have her bear, Wink, to keep her company when no one else seems to understand her. As the days go by Felicity, now nicknamed Flissy, longs for a letter from Danny and Winnie, but none seem to arrive for her, only for Uncle Gideon and they are all in some kind of code. When she finally discovers that Captain Derek is really a boy about her age, things really begin to change. Is it possible to have a crush on a sea captain? Will she ever hear from Winnie and Danny again? After they sneak in to Gideon’s room to read the letters, will she and Derek figure out what the coded letters say? Why is Aunt Miami always quoting Romeo and Juliet? What surprises will be discovered during the Christmas holiday season? You will have to travel back in time to Maine with Flissy and family to find out for yourself!

The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone seemed to lull me into another world. The house by the sea in Maine became a favorite of mine as Derek, Gideon and the rest of the Bathburns became comfortable to me in the cozy setting. I felt for Flissy and how much she missed her parents. Even though no one else is scared about the war, she can’t help it after all that she experienced in England, and she still looks at her surroundings through nervous eyes. My heart went out to Flissy as she longs to hear from her parents and she worried about their safety every day. When Flissy and Derek tried to crack the code I felt nervous and stressed out for them. I was also impressed with their detective work! Flissy is someone I would most definitely want to be friends with, not only would it be fun to be friends with someone from another country, but I loved the way she spoke, and I connected to what was in her heart. All she really tries to do is help people and make their lives better. Being a child abandoned during the war would be very difficult, and it was so refreshing to see the way Flissy learned to trust herself and depend on those around her. She always had to be an adult, and now she finally gets to be a child. I can't wait to read the next book by this fantastic author! I think this book will be enjoyed by kids and adults from fourth grade and up. Journey back to Maine in 1941 and you will discover more than you ever expected! show less