First published 2009
Nine-year-old Anna loves playing with dolls in her family's repair shop alongside her sisters. When World War I breaks out, everything changes. An embargo blocks German-made doll parts from reaching America. Papa can no longer fix the broken dolls that customers bring in. The family business starts to fail. Anna watches her parents worry about money and the future of their shop. She knows she needs to act. Anna comes up with a plan that could rescue the family store from closing forever. Her idea requires creativity and courage. The story draws from the real life of Madame Alexander, who built a famous doll company. Anna must convince her family that her solution can work before it's too late.
Genres: family-life, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-secrets, found-family
Setting: America
Period: World War I
128 pages · Hardcover · Viking Books for Young Readers