"Not only is 11-year-old Miri a middle child, but she's stuck between two sets
of twins, neither of which will let Miri tag along as they explore the nooks
and
crannies of the family's new house. Good thing Miri has a wild imagination
to keep her company and a powerful belief in magic, too. She needs both for
this
clever take on the through-the- looking-glass(es) adventure that Barrows (Ivy and
Bean) spins for her. "Magic is just a way of setting things right," Miri learns
after peering through an eyeglass she discovers in her room and then suddenly
finding herself in the company of a girl who could almost be Miri's twin, except
that the year is now 1935. Barrows limits the fantasy to the simple but effective
time-travel device, using it sparingly as Miri bravely sets about making things
right for her new friend—and eventually herself. Readers will savor the author's
lively observations (thinking she is trapped in the past, Miri "consider[s] the
fact that several of her favorite books would not be published for seventy more
years. 'Great.... When I'm in my eighties I'll find out what happens to Harry
Potter' "), while the heroine's adaptability and independent thinking endow her
with the appeal of a Ramona Quimby or a Clementine." Publishers Weekly,
December 17, 2007
A Junior Library Guild Selection
