Brightling

A fantastical twist on a classic story. Thrown out of the Knip and Pynch Home for Waifs and Strays, Sparrow is an orphan accompanied only by her loyal cat Scaramouch and a single clue to her real family. Sparrow travels to the town of Stollenback where, lost and afraid, she is taken in by Gloriana, a strange and colorful street girl. Sparrow thinks she has found a home in the "nest"--a hideout for homeless girls run by the beautiful but menacing Miss Minter. Sparrow is taught to make matches and stay quiet, but all is not as it seems. And what does the vicious Tapper want with her? As Sparrow uncovers a web of strange and suspicious secrets, she finds herself at the heart of an undercover smuggling trade with a price on her head. Kidnapped and locked in the dark coal cellar, Sparrow's dream of finding a family seems impossible. A wonderful re-imagining of Oliver Twist, Sparrow's adventure realizes the dark secrets of Dickensian London with a fantastical twist for younger readers.