The Unadoptables
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4.3 • 9 Ratings
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
A delicious fairy tale full of mysterious spirits, daring escapes, and a beautiful message about the power of found families.
In all the years that Elinora Gassbeek has been matron of the Little Tulip Orphanage, not once have the Rules for Baby Abandonment been broken. Until the autumn of 1880, when five babies are left in outrageous circumstances; one in a tin toolbox, one in a coal bucket, one in a picnic hamper, one in a wheat sack, and finally, one in a coffin-shaped basket.
Those babies were Lotta, Egg, Fenna, Sem, and Milou. And although their cruel matron might think they're "unadoptable," they know their individuality is what makes them special--and so determined to stay together.
When a most sinister gentleman appears and threatens to tear them apart, the gang make a daring escape across the frozen canals of Amsterdam. But is their real home--and their real family--already closer than they realize?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
It’s hard to imagine a more satisfyingly atmospheric world to escape into than Hana Tooke’s gothic version of 19th-century Amsterdam. The debut author’s fast-paced mystery for kids (and lucky adults) unfolds against the backdrop of shadowy canal houses and dilapidated windmills—and features a cruel matron, a sinister sea captain, a mysterious puppet maker, and most importantly, five extraordinary 12-year-old orphans. Each of these children possesses a special skill, and one winter night, they’re forced to flee their dismal orphanage and search for a better life, along with answers about their pasts. Tooke’s novel is beautifully written and decidedly spooky in a fun way, but it delivers a heartwarming message about friendship and the true meaning of family.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1880, five babies were abandoned at Amsterdam's Little Tulip Orphanage without adhering to the institution's orderly rules. Named by the cruel Matron Gassbeek, their monikers are as unique as they are: 12-fingered Lotta, a master of mathematics; gentle Egg, a budding cartographer; timid Fenna, a mute culinary expert; and protective Sem, a sewing whiz. The fifth, Milou, whose ear-prickling sense warns her of impending danger, has written a book of theories about why her parents abandoned her in a small coffin. Twelve years later, these inseparable children, all considered unadoptable, are suddenly courted by a merchant who wants them to join him aboard his ship. Instead, the five escape to an abandoned windmill once owned by Milou's family; however, even their lifelike puppet guardian and Milou's sixth sense may not protect them from the dangers of the outside world. Despite employing a well-trod conceit orphans frantic to escape a miserable life creating a found family this story stands out for its enchanted setting, daring escapades, and an arch, vividly wrought third-person narrative by debut author Tooke. Ages 8 12.
