The good-hearted but high-spirited orphan that's always getting into trouble is a classic in children's fiction (Anne of Green Gables comes to mind) and Hallie in this book is a good example of such. Her parents died when she was a baby and, when she was thirteen, her grandfather died and she was sent to an orphanage. What followed were several unsuccessful attempts at placement in adoptive homes, but Hallie always got sent back to the orphanage and wondered if she would ever find a place to call her own.

9-to-12 girls will like this story and will find much to admire and empathize with in Hallie. The author's afterword explains the real history behind several of the incidents that take place in the novel. I would recommend this book. A similar, more recent title is Karen Cushman's Rodzina. ( )