When Mischief Came to Town

“We are told to be mature and behave, and for some silly reason, we believe this means that we can no longer have fun. We forget how to laugh, how to yell, how to run, and worst of all, how to delight in each other’s company.” Thank goodness, then, for Inge Maria Jensen, the “spirited and jolly” heroine of this delightful tale from Australian author Nannestad, about a Danish orphan rediscovering joy after loss. Life in her grandmother’s quiet village is nothing like what Inge Maria knew in Copenhagen, but with the help of Grandmother (who has a tendency toward mischief herself), a brood of lively farm animals, and an imagination bolstered by the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, the 10-year-old soon has the neighbors talking—and eventually laughing along with her. The rural, early-20th-century setting and many of the characters hark back to classic stories like Anne of Green Gables, but Inge Maria’s voice has a contemporary edge that makes for an easier but no less pleasurable read. Readers can only hope for more of her happy mischief and genuine heart. Ages 10–12. (Jan.)