The Apothecary
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Follows a fourteen-year-old American girl whose life unexpectedly transforms when she moves to London in 1952 and gets swept up in a race to save the world from nuclear war.
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Summary
Add a SummaryYou’d think that growing up in Hollywood, California, the last thing Janie Scott would be worried about would be the American government. Yet when the blacklist forces her family to move as far away as London, Janie finds herself navigating a whole new world. The year is 1959 and before she knows it Janie finds herself wrapped up in the troubles of a cute boy in her school named Benjamin. Turns out his father is an apothecary, and not just the run-of-the-mill kind either. Benjamin’s father is one of a long line of alchemists and the secrets he holds are of interest to some pretty shady characters. Now it’s up to Janie, Benjamin, and their friend Pip to aid the apothecary cause, even if it means heading straight for the heart of a nuclear explosion.
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Add a CommentChildlit best fantasy recommendation Good first romance for middle school
A fantasy/syfy. A good easy read. For any elementary kid. Full of joy and fun.
Cold War spying with magic. It practically sells itself! Maile Meloy takes this rather unique idea and rather than phoning the past in, does the necessary research, writes a compelling (not to say amusing) book, and the end result is a fantasy (or is it science fiction?) novel that can truly be called unique. It may have a funny little quirk here and there, but all told this is a strong piece of writing from a writer that I certainly hope we’ll see a lot more of. Original. Quirky. Fun.
It’s 1952 and Janie Scott has moved to London, England form sunny Los Angeles with her screen-writer parents. Life in London is damp, dark and cold and Janie, feeling snubbed at her new school, becomes intrigued with Benjamin Burrows, the son of a mild-mannered but mysterious apothecary (druggist). When Benjamin’s father is kidnapped by mysterious strangers, the two set out to rescue him. This brings them face to face with the evils of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear war and Soviet and German spies. Using mixtures from his father’s Pharmacopoeia-an ancient book of spells and potions-Benjamin and Janie are thrust into a world of fantasy, magic and cold hard realism to save his father and ultimately, the world, from nuclear war. Meloy has expertly woven history, science and fantasy, as well as a hint of teen romance, into a tale of family, loyalty and friendship. We look forward to more adventures with this authentic duo. “ …a cross between Harry Potter and Nancy Drew…” Reviewed by BPL staff GF
Pretty good. First love w/ kiss, so not for pre/early teen. "Allow for the possibility..."