• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 May #2
  The summer Bruno Ben-Eli's brother is in Europe fighting in WWII, the Sweet family comes to Belle Beach, Long Island, and rents the cottage next door to the Ben-Elis. The story begins early on the morning of August 31, as the Sweet sisters—Julie, 12, and Martha, 6—take a cake to the dedication of the new children's library. Their mission is interrupted when they find a baby in a basket on the library steps—and Julie takes the baby! Meanwhile, Bruno's secret trip into New York City (at the behest of his brother) is also interrupted by this event. Hest's unique narrative approach divides the book into sections that describe the incidents of August 31 and then go back to June 21, sequentially unfolding the summer's events. Her protagonists, Julie, Martha, and Bruno, alternately narrate, relaying their individual perspectives. Hest adeptly brings everything back to August 31, solving the mystery of the baby in the process. This historical tale engagingly presents ordinary life, while acknowledging the toll war can take on a community. Grades 4-7. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.

Amy Hest is the author of many beloved books for young readers, including Remembering Mrs. Rossi, Letters to Leo, and the Katie Roberts novels. She is also the author of many picture books, including Kiss Good Night, When Jesse Came Across the Sea, and the Baby Duck books. Her more recent titles include Buster and the Baby, On the Night of the Shooting Star and Are You Sure, Mother Bear? Amy Hest lives in New York City.