The Apothecary / Maile Meloy / 353 pages

This is Meloy's first novel for young readers and it is a stunner. The book takes place in the early 1950's during the Cold War. (It's rather unsettling to think that the era you grew up in is now considered historical fiction! ) Annie Scott's parents who are TV script writers are forced to flee the US during the McCarthy era. They get a job in London and 14 year old Annie finds out that London holds unexpected, fantastic adventure and relationships that will last throughout her life. She and her friends Benjamin and Pip along with Benjamin's father (the Apothecary) and his scientist friends give the world hope when they find a way to contain and defuse the power of the atomic bomb. In the process they are transformed into birds, use the "smell of truth" and find out how to become invisible. This is a great read for upper elementary and middle school students and recommended for those who like Harry Potter, Emerald Atlas, and Seeds of Rebellion.