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drfuriosa 's review for:
The Unadoptables
by Hana Tooke
I'm a woman lucky enough to have two kinds of family: a great family to be born into, and a wonderful family of choice to be surrounded by. As a professor who informally parents a LOT of students, I emphasize the "family you choose," and it's the latter kind of family that Hana Tooke embraces in this charming book.
In Amsterdam 1886, there are LAWS about abandoning orphans, but nobody told the people who abandoned Lotta, Egg, Fenna, Sem, and Milou. Left at Elinora Gassbeek's reluctant doorstep over a short period of time, they grow up together and become the oldest orphans in their residence. They are deemed "unadoptable" by their narrow-minded society and patrons, but they quickly realize their talents, heart, and possibility. Some are differently abled and use those talents in unique ways. Some are discriminated against because of skin color and challenge stereotypes. And others don't conform to what it means to be a "nice" child. When a suspicious man seeks to adopt them all, they go on a quest to find Milou's parents, and embark on an adventure that will change their lives forever.
Middle-grade readers who enjoy a quest narrative with a little bite will absolutely adore this tale. I myself really enjoyed the way the children banded together to form their own family and face the world as a unit. Fans of Roald Dahl, the Mary Poppins books, or A Series of Unfortunate Events will devour this book. Tooke is a talented author, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.
In Amsterdam 1886, there are LAWS about abandoning orphans, but nobody told the people who abandoned Lotta, Egg, Fenna, Sem, and Milou. Left at Elinora Gassbeek's reluctant doorstep over a short period of time, they grow up together and become the oldest orphans in their residence. They are deemed "unadoptable" by their narrow-minded society and patrons, but they quickly realize their talents, heart, and possibility. Some are differently abled and use those talents in unique ways. Some are discriminated against because of skin color and challenge stereotypes. And others don't conform to what it means to be a "nice" child. When a suspicious man seeks to adopt them all, they go on a quest to find Milou's parents, and embark on an adventure that will change their lives forever.
Middle-grade readers who enjoy a quest narrative with a little bite will absolutely adore this tale. I myself really enjoyed the way the children banded together to form their own family and face the world as a unit. Fans of Roald Dahl, the Mary Poppins books, or A Series of Unfortunate Events will devour this book. Tooke is a talented author, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.