The year is 1959 and before she knows it Janie finds herself wrapped up in the troubles of a cute boy in her school named Benjamin. Yet when the blacklist forces her family to move as far away as London, Janie finds herself navigating a whole new world. You'd think that growing up in Hollywood, California, the last thing Janie Scott would be worried about would be the American government. Oh it had a couple fits and starts along the way, don't get me wrong, but if we're looking to tip a hat to a book that dares to do something a little different than its contemporaries, The Apothecary is worth that tip. The engaging characters, memorable details, and compelling writing. The blend of historical fiction and fantasy (or is it science fiction?) for example.

Come to think of it, there were a lot of things about this book that struck me as surprising when I came across them. It never really occurred to me that the fact that the robin on the cover was American wasn't just on purpose but essential to the plot itself. So what was my initial reaction? I picked it up, noticed the American robin on the cover paired with the image below of some buildings raising the British flag and sniffed, 'That's not an English robin.' I was feeling very pleased with myself because as The Secret Garden taught me, English robins and American robins are entirely different.

Illustrator Ian Schoenherr really put his heart and soul into it. Here we have one of the lovelier illustrated book jackets to come out in recent years. Take my reaction to the cover of Maile Meloy's The Apothecary, for instance. I can be a very smug librarian sometimes.

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy