About This Book
Reach for this book when your child feels like a fish out of water after a move or finds more comfort in books and museums than in the local playground. It is a sophisticated, hauntingly beautiful story about Nina, a lonely girl in San Francisco who discovers a French museum and meets a girl from the nineteenth century who only she can see. Together, they work to clear the name of the girl's father, who was wrongly accused of treason during the Napoleonic era. This National Book Award winner is a perfect bridge for the sensitive reader who is ready for deeper philosophical themes and complex mysteries. It deals beautifully with the concept of 'longing' and the way art and history can provide a sense of belonging when the modern world feels cold. While it contains a mystery involving a historical execution, the tone is contemplative and magical rather than frightening, making it ideal for thoughtful middle schoolers.
