Rosa by Starlight
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
From award-winning author Hilary McKay comes an enchanting illustrated middle grade novel in the spirit of Matilda about a lonely orphan who dreams of escaping her ghastly aunt and uncle.
Rosa has always believed there is magic in the world. Or at least, she hopes there is. She lost her parents when she was four, and her aunt and uncle moved into her home not long after, transforming it from a messy place of love and warmth to a cold world of business. Their approach to family is as phony as the plastic grass they sell, keeping Rosa at arm’s length and tucking her in at night by locking her in her room.
Now eleven, Rosa’s loneliness threatens to overwhelm her. Her only solace is the magic she sees around her, particularly in a cat named Balthazar who comes to—and through—her window. When all the teachers at her school win the lottery and quit their jobs, Rosa’s aunt and uncle seize the opportunity to put an evil plan into action. They whisk Rosa away to Venice, intending to abandon her there. Luckily for Rosa, there are cats in Venice—and a laughing boy in a gondola and a family making sure she is fed.
In Rosa’s darkest hour, can the magic she’s never lost faith in save the day?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Orphaned at age four, Rosa Mundi has been raised by her aunt and uncle, cruel people who have dampened her spirit over the years by locking her in her room at night and proving more interested in promoting their artificial lawn business than caring for a child. Her only friend is Balthazar, an enigmatic, helpful black cat. Now 11, she's taken by her aunt and uncle to Venice, where they plan to expand their business. Upon arrival, they abandon Rosa at a hotel run by a family that only speaks Italian. Short on funds and alone in a foreign country, Rosa must find a way to fend for herself. But when the street cats of Venice come to her aid, she discovers an innate power and a new sense of belonging. McKay (The Swallows' Flight) employs dream logic and surrealist imagery reminiscent of Roald Dahl to blend fairy tale whimsy with aching portrayals of adolescence. Over-the-top characters, lush descriptions, and casual incorporations of magical elements buoy the sometimes fraught scenarios that Rosa finds herself in as she contends with street thieves, unfamiliar customs, and the realities of being brought up by neglectful relatives. Main characters are white and Italian. Ages 8–12.
