Beatrice and the Dirty Diggers

This is the 4th title in the Far and Away Series byRosemary Zibart for tweens, older kids, and younger teens but it works very well as a stand alone novel. It focus' on 14 year old Beatrice (an evacuee from Great Britain) as she goes to archeology camp in New Mexico during the Second World War. Over the course of the book several references to the issues assocaited with the war are mentioned but that is not the focus of the story; they are more used to place the story historically and provide background. Beactrice is a likeable girl who is struggling with making friends and finding her place in life - very realistic concerns for 14 year olds (and others). As the story unfolds, the realities of being on an archeological dig are show more experienced and some basic archeological methods are explained. While I would not describe this as a coming of age novel, there are parts where Beatrice does take steps toward the grown up world. Would recommend to those who enjoy stories taking place on the Home Front of WWII, taking place in the desert SouthWest, and about personal young people. show less

I requested Beatrice and the Dirty Diggers by Rosemary Zibart from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program because it looked interesting. I didn't realize that it was book four of a series called 'Far and Away' until I received it. Book two is about someone else, but books one, three, and four are about an English girl named Beatrice 'Bea' Agatha Sims. Bea was evacuated from her London home two years before this book begins in order to be safe from the Blitz. She was evacuated to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Bea initially hated Santa Fe, but now she loves it. Her original Hostess, Clementine 'Clem' Pope, is temporarily being a nurse in Washington, D.C. because the USA entered World War II months ago.