A Twist In Time

From School Library Journal Grade 5-9–When her mother is hospitalized and she is placed in foster care on the first day at her new school, scholarship student Cozy Walker is distraught. An introspective and quiet only child, Cozy is accustomed to taking care of her agoraphobic mother. The working class Wrigleys are kind foster parents, but Cozy doesn't get on with the two boisterous girls who are also staying with "Auntie" and "Gov." Jemma and Jade tease Cozy about her upper class accent, fancy school, and intelligence. Cozy sees the "ghost" of a girl named Kathleen who lives in the World War II era in her room, and the girl can see her as well. Cozy is comforted by Kathleen's diary entries, which give her the courage to stand up for herself as she adjusts to her new circumstances, makes friends, excels at school, and learns about life during World War II. Narrator Kim Hicks uses unique voices and accents for each character in the well-paced recording of British author Jean Ure's novel. A lot of British slang is used, but most of it will be understood in context. This book compassionately addresses the issues of foster care and the affect of a parent's mental illness on children. A nice addition to middle school collections.–