This book is so very many things, and while it is ostensibly a children’s book, it is much, much more than that.
And it is completely fascinating.
It’s an English boarding school book. But it’s also a tale of World War II. It’s a story of a sad young prince from a minor European kingdom. It’s a story of classism and racism. It’s a story of the decline of royalty, and the end of empire. It’s a story of friendship. It’s also more than a touch Sound of Music.
It’s just a delight from beginning to end, and the only problem I had with it is that its title is in no way descriptive, nor evocative, of the book itself, and so may not be as attractive to readers as I would like.
Because everyone should read this book. It is funny, it is wise, it is action-packed but also sweet and thoughtful. It is wildly improbable, but also very, viscerally real. I loved it a lot, this story of an unusual school, a trip abroad for a festival of folk dancing (of course!), a little boy lost and the importance of communication.
Also, Nazis are bad, you guys. Just so you know.
SCORECARD
TBR DAY 235: The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson
GENRE: Children’s Fiction
PUBLISHED: 2008
TIME ON THE TBR: ~5 years.
PURCHASED FROM: Op shop.
KEEP: Absolutely.
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