Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Girl shakes up Danish island in heartfelt outsider tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
It's 1911, and 10-year-old Inge Maria leaves Copenhagen, where she's lived all her life with her mother, for the small Danish island of Bornholm, where she'll live on the farm of her grandmother, a complete stranger. To make things even worse, when she falls asleep on the boat, a goat eats one of her pigtails. Country life is very different from her old, happy days of school, friends, books, and pretty clothes, but Inge is determined to be good and make the best of things. For some reason, though, trouble seems to follow her, and she's quickly involved in one scrape after another -- which may not be entirely a bad thing.
Is It Any Good?
Inge Maria isn't the first independent-minded tween orphan to brighten up a cheerless town, but fans of young outsider tales will love sharing this trip to 1911 Denmark with her. Think Heidi, Pollyanna, or Anne of Green Gables. Some things about the story may be jarring to today's kids, from adults slapping kids to orphaned kids being homeless and reduced to stealing food, but along with many other details, they lead to some interesting discussion about how things are -- and aren't -- different today.
Consistent with the times, some of the heartfelt sentiments and discussions, especially those dealing with loss and grief, may strike some readers as old-fashioned and preachy, but they are considerably lightened by Inge's antics and her connection with kindred spirits.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories where the main character has to make a new life in a completely strange place. Why do you think this is such a popular theme? Do you have any favorite stories that use this plot line?
Have you ever been to Denmark? Does this story make you want to visit? What do you think is most interesting about the country? What do you think might be different now from the way things are in the story?
Would you rather live in the city or the country? Why? What would be the best thing, and what would be the hardest to deal with?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Family Life
- Topics : Animals , Fantasy ( Fairy Tales ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HMH Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : January 5, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 12
- Number of pages : 192
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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