Parents' Guide to

The Blue Door

By Monica Wyatt, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Potboiler plot, but some good history.

Book Ann Rinaldi Historical Fiction 1996
The Blue Door Poster Image

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age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

nagroundz
nagroundz Parent of 6, 7 and 8-year-old
February 3, 2009
age 2+

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See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

The Chelmsford family saga turns into a thriller as Abigail's granddaughter fights her way back to New England, escaping evildoers, exploding steamboats, and spies. She becomes trapped in the drudgery of her own family's textile mill. Still good history although the plot's a potboiler. Fans of the first two books will want to read it.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Ann Rinaldi strains to concoct a plot that will bring the quilt and the family back together, and relies on remarkable coincidences to keep the story moving.

This last book in the Chelmsford sisters trilogy, following Stitch in Time and Broken Days, reunites the family and their pieces of quilt that the first two books divided. Wild coincidences abound. Grandmother Abigail forces the 14-year-old Amanda to remain silent for two weeks, teaching her an unusual skill that comes in handy later when Amanda can't betray her southern accent while hiding in the Lowell textile mills. When the evil Nicholas chases Amanda through the dark streets of Lowell he's certain to kill her. Fortunately, Nancy, Thankful's half-Indian daughter, formerly called Walking Breeze, just happens to be out and about, armed with scissors.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about working in the mills. Did anything surprise you about the working conditions? What do you think about allowing such young children to work?

Book Details

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