When Mischief Came to Town for Gutsy Girl Week

Gutsy Girl Week continues with an offering from an Australian writer.  She has set her book in Denmark in 1911, when girls were supposed to be quiet and demure.  Our main character Inge is anything but.  She thinks girls should be lively, intelligent and run with the boys, even if that means getting into a little bit of mischief!

Don't forget to Follow One Great Book on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or by email so that you don't miss a single story where guts and determination are hallmarks of the best female characters.

Title: When Mischief Came to Town

Author: Katrina Nannestad

Target: Grades 3-6

Series: No

What this book is about: 

Inge Maria has lost her mother, so she moves from Copenhagen to a small island in Denmark to live with a grandmother she has never met.  Her grandmother seems less than thrilled with her arrival when it turns out that Inge is quite a spirited child who finds mischief around every corner.  But through time, love and some spirited adventures, they grown to love and understand one another.

Why I love this book:

• This book is funny.  The stories are so clever and the humor just snuck up on me.  There were a few times I was laughing out loud and hoping no one around was looking!   But the humor is smart and sentimental and not at all gratuitous.

• I always start with a positive bias when it comes to books about Scandinavian families, and thankfully this one did not disappoint.  Set in 1911, it does show the hardships of life in Scandinavia and is an accurate depiction of the time.  I loved that it encouraged girls to be everything that boys could be when society dictated something different.

• This book takes inspiration from Hans Christian Anderson and his books were a staple in my house growing up.  Just like Anderson’s fairytales, there is sorrow and pain in this book, but there is also joy, laughter and love which actually makes this story well rounded and grounded.

Who this book is for: 

This would make a wonderful read aloud book.  It is great for kids who like Adventures with Waffles or who like their characters with a mischievous personality, used only for good of course.

Final thoughts: 

I love it when I find books that are just innocent fun, but still relevant and not at all old fashioned.  Reminded me of a book I would have read as a child that would actually appeal to my own children now

To purchase this book:

Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: When Mischief Came to Town.  A portion of each purchase will go to support this blog at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.