Secrets at Sea

Starred review from August 22, 2011
Newbery Medalist Peck’s (A Year Down Yonder) dry wit and gentle jabs at social mannerisms appear in full force in this charming tale of a 19th-century mouse family traveling abroad. The story begins when house-mouse Helena and her younger siblings get wind that the human residents upstairs, the Cranstons, are planning to go to Europe to find a proper husband for elder daughter Olive. Not wanting to be left behind in an empty, crumb-free abode, the mice sneak onto the ship, despite their fear of water. “Time is always running out for us mice, and water often figures in,” remarks Helena, whose delightfully genteel narration carries the novel. Once aboard, Helena and her siblings are surprised to find a “major infestation” of other mice traveling with their human housemates. While trying to avoid the ship’s one-eyed “kill-crazy” cat, they scurry from one adventure to the next, rubbing elbows with aristocracy and finding unexpected romance. Readers—especially fans of Beatrix Potter—will revel in the detailed descriptions of mouse-sized joys, woes, and love connections, all beautifully depicted in Murphy’s soft pencil illustrations. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from September 15, 2011

Problem novels, ghost stories, historical fiction—is there anything Newbery Medalist Peck cannot do? Apparently not.

Helena Cranston, oldest surviving member of her family after the deaths of both her parents and her sisters Vicky and Alice, has her hands full: dreamy sister Beatrice and skittery sister Louise keep sneaking out at night—Helena fears inappropriate liaisons—while brother Lamont skips school for more dangerous pursuits. Worse yet, the Upper Cranstons, dissatisfied with Hudson Valley beaux, are embarking for England to catch daughter Olive a husband. Europe, as Helena knows, is across a very large body of water, and Helena, being a mouse, fears water with all her heart. Yet soon she and her family, secreted in one of the Cranstons' steamer trunks, are carried onboard ship, where they discover an aristocratic mouse society heretofore unknown, including the Mouse-in-Waiting to Princess Louise, Queen Victoria's daughter, who shows Helena that mice can in fact change history—at least on a mouse-sized scale. Peck must have had a blast writing this. Whimsical language, sure characterization, unflagging adventure, even romance—all seen through Helena's relentlessly practical beady little eyes. Think The Tale of Despereaux without the twee. 

Sheer delight. (final art not seen) (Animal fantasy. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2011

Gr 3-5-In his first venture into animal fantasy, Peck weaves a delicious tale of three mice-Helena, Louise, and Beatrice-and their troublesome brother, Lamont. Their ordered life in the Hudson Valley home of the socially inept Cranston family is thrown into turmoil as they find themselves on an ocean voyage, accompanying their unwitting humans who are hoping to marry off their elder daughter in England. Helena, who has assumed the parental role since their father was killed by a barn cat and their mother and two sisters drowned in a rain barrel, must help her siblings overcome their fear of water and keep them out of human sight as they avoid the ship's cat, negotiate corridors, and slip in and out of staterooms. They meet other mice who are accompanying their humans on the trip: the influential Duchess of Cheddar Gorge, with connections to Queen Victoria; Nigel, the ship's steward who entices Lamont into his service; and dashing Lord Peter Henslow, mouse equerry to the human Lord Peter. Chaos, intrigue, and romance ensue, culminating in a royal rodent wedding, synchronized with the queen's Diamond Jubilee. The Upstairs, Downstairs motif works nicely, and personalities, both human and anthropomorphic, interact to hilarious effect. The fast-paced story is peppered with the author's characteristic sly wit and is pure fun. It is sure to be enjoyed by fans of Avi's "Poppy" series as well as by mouse lovers of all ages.-Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2011
Grades 4-7 As the eldest, Helena has taken charge of her orphaned siblings. It is her job to keep the younger mice safenot much of a challenge, really, except for avoiding the occasional snake and keeping the daring Louise from being seen by humans. However, when word comes that the Cranstons, the people upstairs, are sailing for Europe to give their eldest daughter, Olive, Her Chance, the mice must conquer their fear of drowning to accompany the family across the Atlantic or else stay behind and starve. This delightful romp, told by Helena, is enhanced by whimsical black-and-white illustrations. By turns poignant and playful, engaging and exciting, and with a touch of romance, the story will have great appeal for the audience. The characters (both two- and four-legged) are well drawn, and the timeless themesthe importance of family, the need for courageadd heft.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)