Reviews

Uprooted by Lynne Reid Banks

shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition

I really liked this charming middle grade novel. British author Lynne Reid Banks based the novel on her own experiences of being evacuated from London to Saskatchewan, Canada. At first, the British government forbid families from sending money to evacuees (fearing that too much money would leave the country) so not only did the evacuees have to adjust to a new culture and a new life, but they often had to depend on the largess of strangers. There is tension and drama to keep it interesting but it is also a heart-warming and upbeat story. (I read the ARC - will be published November 2015)

chenoameg's review

4.0

Engaging for a (sort of) memoir, but upon finishing it I feel like something was missing. Don't know if it was visual description or character introspection or what.

grauspitz's review

I got about a third of the way through this book and despite other reviews mention it picking up in a small bit, I've DNFed this book. The beginning is just so horrendously slow that I can't help but feel like it won't get much better, even with the twist that I've seen mentioned in other reviews. And for a children's/middle grade book I feel like the beginning can't be slow, otherwise you'll have kids putting it aside.

I really liked some of the themes mentioned in the portion that I read, mainly the cultural differences between the two countries, the treatment of the 'war guests', as well as the situation that some families found themselves in, but it wasn't enough to keep me reading.

sonshinelibrarian's review

5.0

Loved this. I liked the style of narration, enjoyed seeing a different perspective, loved the colloquialisms and presentation of the cultural challenges the family faced. Particularly liked all the little details like the rhymes and games they used, the language issues even between 2 "English" speaking countries. Thoroughly charming.