By Sheila Agnew
New York City. Evie Brooks has seen it on the TV, but she never imagined herself living there. But when her mother dies, Evie finds herself leaving her home in Dublin and moving to Manhattan to visit with her American uncle for the summer. Never having owned a pet more substantial than a goldfish, twelve-year-old Evie is intrigued by Uncle Scott’s veterinary practice, and before long is working as an assistant in the clinic. Soon she finds herself immersed in dogs galore, parrots, reptiles, and an assortment of other creatures and their eccentric owners. And she loves it. Manhattan would be just about perfect if it weren’t for Uncle Scott’s lawyer girlfriend, who has plans for him that do not involve Evie. Before the summer is over, Evie has an important decision to make: stay in New York and confront the problem of Scott’s girlfriend or return to Ireland to live with her godmother.
About Evie Brooks is Marooned in Manhattan
2015 Literacy Association of Ireland Children’s Book Award shortlist (Ireland)
“Agnew gives Evie an engaging balance of sarcasm, vulnerability, and humour….Readers [will] be clamoring for another Evie book.”—Publishers Weeky
“An enjoyable, light read that will particularly draw in animal lovers.”—School Library Journal
“This is a quick-moving novel, and Evie is by turns smart, cheeky, stubborn, and introspective – a highly identifiable and likeable lead character…”—Resource Links
“Throughout this story, the animals that move through Scott’s workday turn out to be the creatures that help Evie cope with her mother’s passing.”—The Montreal Gazette
“Wonderfully paced, easy to read, and quite appropriate for 10 year olds and up, this story delicately balances the concept of grief and loss with the ordinary exuberance of a curious 12 year old in the midst of changes, and is a wonderfully clever read.”—I Am Indeed
