Review Detail

ODDFELLOW'S ORPHANAGE is a charming, magical little book with the same kind of lyrical, otherworldly quality as the Series of Unfortunate Events, but without any of the darkness of that particular series. Each character, from the orphans to the orphanage staff members, are vivid, distinct, and interesting. Ms. Martin begins each chapter with a portrait of a character and a brief biography. The portraits, along with the other illustrations scattered throughout the book, are sepia toned and lovely, lending a quaint, old-fashioned charm to the book.

The main narrative character is Delia, a recently orphaned albino girl who doesn't speak. We see episodes from her first year at the orphanage. Each episode is full of charm, good spirits, and a beautiful acceptance of children (and adults!) who are far outside the world's norm. How a strange collection like this came under one roof is a mystery, and I would've loved a little bit of information on how Headmaster Oddfellow always knew when an extraordinary child had been orphaned. Also, Delia immediately accepts her new life and is happy. We don't see grief over lost parents at all. While this book isn't built for heavy grief and difficult adjustments, I would've liked just a bit more in the story so that young readers who've experienced loss might see themselves in the pages.

Those are small detractions,however. This book is lovely, magical, and endearing. My eleven year old son read it and loved it as much as I did. I recommend it.