Vendor
	Foundry Claire Harris
Original language
English
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational
Weblink
leilasales.com

ONCE WAS A TIME

Leila Sales

ONCE WAS A TIME features two best friends who are wrenched apart when one time-travels away from their home in war-ravaged 1940s England.

In the war-ravaged England of 1940, Charlotte Bromley is sure of only one thing: Kitty McLaughlin is her best friend in the whole world. But when Charlotte's scientist father makes an astonishing discovery that the Germans will covet for themselves, Charlotte is faced with an impossible choice between danger and safety. Should she remain with her friend or journey to another time and place? Her split-second decision has huge consequences, and when she finds herself alone in the world, unsure of Kitty's fate, she knows that somehow, some way, she must find her way back to her friend. Written in the spirit of classic time-travel tales, this book is an imaginative and heartfelt tribute to the unbreakable ties of friendship.

Leila Sales grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from the University of Chicago. Now she lives in Brooklyn, New York, and works as a children's book editor. Leila spends most of her time thinking about sleeping, kittens, dance parties, and stories that she wants to write.

Available products
Book Published 2016-04-05 by Chronicle Books
Book Published 2016-04-05 by Chronicle Books

Comments

A timeless story of best friendship that is as original as it is authentic, as elegant as it is heart-wrenching. Sales is a master storyteller.

Lottie's fortitude and resolve make her an admirable and sympathetic protagonist.

"Most people don't believe in time travel," begins this work of fantasy/sci-fi set in 1940s wartime London. Ten-year-old Lottie and her best friend, the anagram-obsessed Kitty, certainly do. Lottie's dad is engaged in top-secret scientific research that may help win the war. Sales's story takes an abrupt detour as Lottie travels to suburban Wisconsin in the year 2013, without any clothes, without any clues, and, worst of all, without Kitty. With the help of a friendly librarian, some clueless but kind foster parents, and a geeky outcast artist, Lottie finds a new life, but she can't forget her dearest friend. She's determined to find her again, though time and space themselves stand in the way. Packed with literary allusions, meditations on friendship, and historical/geographical tidbits, this book is a bit of an unwieldy read, and its never-ending stream of coincidence, luck, and nice people can get a little wearing (has any Child Protective Services interview ever gone so well with so little paperwork?). The science is fluff, but the book shines in its portrayal of friendship, both the intense bond between Lottie and Kitty and the blossoming trust between Lottie and her new friend, Jake. VERDICT This genre mash-up will appeal to fans of Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me (Random, 2009) and Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time.

ONCE WAS A TIME has it all: suspense, humor, an intrepid heroine, and an intriguing take on time travel. But at its heart, Leila Sales’ dazzling tale is about a friendship so powerful that nothing— not even time itself — can break its bonds. Unforgettable.

The bond between Lottie and Kitty-proves to be both tender and unstoppable.

The newest Leila Sales middle grade novel, ONCE WAS A TIME, has been picked as an Amazon Best Book of the Month for April!

Superb. Months after first reading the book, I find myself reflecting on its characters and outcomes.