First sentence: I'm the one who found her. A real, live baby girl and I saw her first. I saw the basket. Right over there, on the steps of the new children's library. A tiny little baby! All by herself in that basket! She was so brave, though. She wasn't even crying. I just wanted to hold her awhile. I didn't mean to take the baby.

Premise/plot: This children's book is set during the Second World War. It opens on a summer day--August 31. Three children (Julie and Martha Sweet, and their neighbor, Bruno Ben-Eli) find a baby in a basket on the steps of the [new] children's library. Each chapter features narration by all three--Julie, Martha, Bruno. Each chapter reveals details fleshing out their story. Everything leads to the big day--August 31. As you might have guessed, this one is not a linear or chronological story. Readers learn about the characters, the story, the setting--slowly but surely.

My thoughts: I really loved this one! I did. There were a few [subtle] moments of sadness. But nothing overwhelming or heavy. Observant readers can read behind the lines as to how the characters might be feeling. It has a great premise--children finding an 'abandoned' baby on the steps to the public library. It has dimensional characters--I really loved getting to know all three protagonists. I loved the complex relationships. Readers learn relatively early on that Bruno and Julie have fallen out; they were friends once, but no more. I love how human all these characters are. I felt empathy for all three. ( )

One summer morning on their way to the opening of a new children's library, two sisters stumble upon a baby in a basket. As they start to trek across the beach towards the nearby military fort to tell adults about the baby, each sister is lost in her thoughts. They are followed by a neighbor around their age who is trying to catch up to them with a note that fell out of the basket.

This was an interesting read for the most part. The concept was somewhat unusual with this mysterious baby appearing, although I guessed long before the characters whose baby it was and also found the reasoning for said baby to be alone quite the weak sauce. The book is told in alternating chapters from the point of view of each of the main characters and goes back and forth between the present and earlier in the summer. The voices were well done and distinct.

After finishing the book though, I had a hard time figuring out the audience for it. I think it almost appeals more to adults like myself than to the target audience of children. The children's perspectives felt like they were meant more to charm those older than them instead of being relatable to those their own age. Having some historical knowledge of the time period was pretty much crucial to understanding the book, but the war is more of a background piece so this isn't necessarily for the WWII buff. I could see a young child who liked reading the adventures of Molly (the American Girl doll on the homefront during WWII) and wanting to read something slightly more advanced enjoying this book, but that seems like a pretty slim audience. ( )

It all begins when sisters Julie and Martha discover a baby in a basket at the door of the new library, and neighbor Bruno finds the note that was in the basket. Whose baby is it? What does the note say? Through shifts in perspective and timeline, readers get various pieces of relevant and side information from each of the three characters. Julie, Martha and Bruno are portrayed with distinct voices and personalities, making this a lively, child-centered slice of summer on Long Island during World War II. ( )

I received this book through the Librarything.com Early Reviewers program. It is set on Long Island during World War II. The story centers around 3 children who find an abandoned baby on the steps of their local library. Instead of taking the baby to an adult, the oldest girl decides to keep it. The story is told from the point of view of the children. It was an ok book, but I don't think I would give it to my middle school age children to read. It is somewhat disjointed, and a little sad.

This book tells the story of a special summer during World War 2, seen through the eyes of several children who are next door neighbors. Bruno misses his big brother, who has gone off to serve his country. Martha hangs out with her sister Julie, and feeling always like the "little sister" she is. Julie finds the baby, but readers do not learn about the baby and what it means until the surprising end of the book. Readers get a glimpse into the heart of each child, as the tale is told alternately by first-person narratives of each child.

This is a chapter book, with each chapter devoted to a different event in the summer, although some kids might find it disjointed or confusing. The whole thing about the abandonment of the baby seemed unrealistic to me though.

Recommended for elementary school aged kids, appropriate for both boys and girls, and perhaps a summer reading choice.

I received this book from LT Early Reviewers. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )