Room for a Stranger (The Friends and Foes Trilogy) [Paperback]

Ann Turnbull (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Friends and Foes Trilogy

Set during WW2, the two children still at home have their routine upset by a new arrival. Rhoda the evacuee soon makes friends with Doreen and Lenny, but rivalry turns into bitter conflict.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7?When Doreen's mother tells her that a young evacuee from London is coming to stay with them, the 12-year-old is less than enthusiastic, especially when she finds out that she has to share her bedroom. Self-assured and mature beyond her 13 years, Rhoda Kelly seems to outshine Doreen at everything. When she is invited to perform in a local concert, Doreen's resentment and jealousy explode. Rhoda runs away, Doreen finds her, and both survive a life-threatening situation. After this incident, Rhoda's actress mother makes a brief visit, and Doreen begins to understand that the girl's grownup ways have been thrust upon her. This finely written, brief novel gives a sensitive, realistic portrayal of a difficult and turbulent time in England during World War II. The interaction among the characters is believable and interesting. Doreen, in particular, shows all of the warts and charms of young adolescence as she bickers with her brother or plans a summer show with her friends. As the story progresses, her childish self-absorption lessens as a more compassionate and secure young woman emerges. An excellent addition to historical fiction collections.?Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-7. Doreen hates having to share her room with Rhoda, an evacuee from the Liverpool bombing during World War II. Increasingly jealous and resentful, Doreen finally yells at Rhoda that no one wants her--not Rhoda's own mother, not Doreen's family--and Rhoda runs away. Like Turnbull's No Friend of Mine (1995), about Doreen's older brother, this is an honest picture of a working-class family in a coal-mining town. The war is a huge presence, but the focus is on personal conflict. The story shows that friends and enemies have "their own ways of making war," in the family and on the street. We don't need the spelled-out message about words that hurt. It's the girls' relationship that is the real drama: their uneasiness, their guilty quarreling, and their eventual acceptance and pleasure in each other's company. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 118 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books Ltd (October 7, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0744547733
• ISBN-13: 978-0744547733
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,941,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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