The Boy from Tomorrow

Gr 4–7—Twelve-year-olds Josie and Alec live a century apart—until supernatural means bring them together. In 1915, Josie's famed mother, Lavinia Clifford, makes her living speaking to the dead. But Josie and her little sister, Cass, are scarcely allowed to speak to anyone. Following his parents' divorce, Alec and his mother spend 2015 building a new life in the old house at 444 Sparrow Street. Enter a Ouija "talking" board, an all-knowing doll named Mrs. Gubbins, a library archive, a time capsule, and some phonograph cylinders. DeAngelis cements a compelling friendship through time. Through Alec's conversations with Josie, one thing becomes clear: cold and cruel Lavinia has nothing in common with his own loving mother. More concerned with writing her memoir than caring for her daughters, Lavinia soon manipulates even Josie's newfound friendship to her own advantage. Chapters alternate between the 20th and 21st centuries, incorporating differences in technology and contemporary everyday life. Child welfare is a prominent theme, as Cass's childhood precocity is punished with physical abuse and neglect. The narrative is excellent. The book is marred only by "A Word of Advice" with a rather foreboding caution against using "talking" boards in real life.