Tally gets sent to boarding school (someplace safe to wait out the war), which she is determined not to like. But her school is unconventional and she makes friends despite herself. Then she gets involved in a dance festival for peace and her life gets entangled with Prince Karil. I loved the idea of children making a difference when adults find themselves powerless to do so. ( )

As Europe seems headed toward another war with Germany, 11-year-old Tally’s family decides to accept an offer to send her to a boarding school in Devon. Tally soon gets over her homesickness at Delderton, a progressive school where children thrive. Kindhearted Tally easily makes friends with the other children. When an opportunity presents itself for the children to participate in a folk dancing festival in the European kingdom of Bergania, Tally wills it to happen. There she meets Karil, the young prince of Bergania, and their friendship changes both of their lives.

I would have loved this book as a child. As an adult reader, I found the children’s worldview too idealistic. It seems to me that the Delderton contingent would be right at home in Lake Wobegon, where “all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.” ( )

The combination of wonder and horror in this are seriously wonderful. The perfect book, I suspect, for reading aloud. ( )

a well written encouraging novel.made me realize how the smallest deed of one can have massive effect of some other things... ( )

a well written encouraging novel.made me realize how the smallest deed of one can have massive effect of some other things... ( )