Romeo Blue

Gr 5–7—This sequel to The Romeo and Juliet Code (Scholastic, 2011) can stand alone as a great World War II story. Felicity B. Bathburn longs for the safety and security of her own home. It's been almost two years since she left London to stay with her grandmother in the rambling house on the coast of Maine. She holds onto memories of her mother and creates conversations and letters in her mind that she would send if only she knew an address. Her American family has secrets of its own and Flissy has learned not to offer explanations or talk about her parents' or uncle's work. The family welcomed her just as they welcomed the orphaned Derek, now 13, who was just a baby when The Gram's son brought him into their home. Flissy is the first one to be suspicious when a man claiming to be Derek's father comes to town and attempts to gain access to the family's secrets and come between the two young teens who are struggling to make sense of the world around them. A Nazi uniform hangs in her uncle's closet and conversations in German become a late-night ritual. Through a series of hidden messages and shortwave-radio broadcasts, Flissy unwittingly learns the true meaning of perseverance and just how much some people will sacrifice when faced with an unbearable truth. Readers will get caught up in this story of young love, espionage, and war-torn families while still far away from the frontlines of the battlefield.—Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OH