The Gate in the Wall

Set in England during the Industrial Revolution, this lively and rewarding novel captures the spirit and speech of the canal boat people who, as an independent class within English society, formed their own distinct culture. The heavy dialect (""Clemmed, were ye?... Mayhappen ye havena supped o' late?"") may be a stumbling block for some (especially those who do not discover the appended glossary until the end), but readers who enjoy such vivid language will savor Howard's (The Tower Room; A Different Kind of Courage) skillful use of historical details. Too scared to go home to her sister and her sister's brutish husband after she is locked out of her job at the silk factory for arriving late, 10-year-old Emma wanders through an open gate in a high brick wall. Inside, she finds a ""placid ribbon"" of water, and the pathway alongside it leads her to a canal boat named Cygnet and its gruff but soft-hearted owner, Mrs. Minshull. To pay for eating one of Mrs. Minshull's potatoes, Emma is put to work as a ""huffler,"" leading the horse that pulls the Cygnet. As the boat travels far from Emma's home in Macclesfield, she grows to enjoy her job and the quiet evenings with Mrs. Minshull. Still, Emma suffers pangs of guilt for leaving her sister. Noting the contrast between the immaculate, brightly painted Cygnet and the grim, squalid conditions of Emma's own home, readers will regret the heroine's decision to return to Macclesfield, but relief comes almost immediately. Swiftly plotted and thoughtfully constructed, this novel makes splendid use of its unusual setting. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)