Nancy Springer has published forty novels for adults, young adults and children. In a career beginning shortly after she graduated from Gettysburg College in 1970, Springer wrote for ten years in the imaginary realms of mythological fantasy, then ventured on contemporary fantasy, magical realism, and women's fiction before turning her attention to children's literature. Her novels and stories for middle-grade and young adults range from contemporary realism, mystery/crime, and fantasy to her critically acclaimed novels based on the Arthurian mythos, I AM MORDRED: A TALE OF CAMELOT and I AM MORGAN LE FAY. Springer's children's books have won her two Edgar Allan Poe awards, a Carolyn W. Field award, various Children's Choice honors and numerous ALA Best Book listings. Her most recent series include the Tales of Rowan Hood, featuring Robin Hood’s daughter, and the Enola Holmes mysteries, starring the much younger sister of Sherlock Holmes.
Ms. Springer lives in East Berlin, Pennsylvania.
Grade 5–9—In this fifth book in the series, Enola, younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, discovers that the royal Duque del Campo's wife, Duquessa Lady Blanchefleur, has gone missing. Through an array of pseudonyms and disguises, the 14-year-old sets out for the grimy underside of Baker Street's Underground station to search for her. Along the way, she encounters an old Gypsy woman wearing a chrysanthemum-blossom amulet displaying Enola's long-lost mother's initials. The woman bestows a fate upon Enola—that she is destined to be alone forever unless she chooses to defy the fate. As Enola struggles with the del Campo case and her mother's whereabouts, she collides with Sherlock. He hands over a mysterious packet that was left on his doorstep, revealed to be a cryptic "skytale" sent by their mother. Feelings about her abandonment begin to change, and all three siblings set out to Lady Blanchefleur. Although Springer builds upon the earlier titles and characters, a different side of Enola's character is presented. Through 19th-century London's dark atmospheric settings, Enola's flair shines through with perseverance and ingenuity. Her descriptive internal monologues demonstrate sensitivity as she discovers her mother's real reason for leaving. In this brilliantly written emotional tale, children will appreciate Enola's self-discovery on the importance of family and her determination to find her true fate.—Krista Welz, North Bergen Public Library, NJ
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