Sparrows in the Scullery

by Barbara Brooks Wallace

Colin Trevelyan, newly orphaned heir to his parents' fortune, is kidnapped in the night from his ancestral home and taken to the grim Broggin Home for Boys, where he is underfed, overworked, and destined for a short life in a deadly glass factory. "A "Junior Literary Guild" selection and winner of the "Mystery Writers of America" EDGAR Award.

This story "immediately hooks readers, who will gobble up this satisfying fare," says "School Library Journal. "Fully realized Victorian melodrama that would make Dickens proud," says "The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books."

Genres: Childrens, Mystery, Juvenile, Historical Fiction, Historical, Middle Grade

162 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Award-winning American children's writer. Has received, among others, the NLAPW Children's Book Award and International Youth Library "Best of the Best" for 'Claudia' (2001), as well as the William Allen White Children's Book Award for 'Peppermints in the Parlor' (1983).

Wallace was born and spent her childhood in China, but then moved to the United States. San Francisco was often a port of entry for her family, who lived in a huge, white-pillared mansion on the side of a hill, later to become the Sugar Hill Hall mansion which served as the setting for some of her most popular books. She was a UCLA graduate.

Wallace won two Edgar Allan Poe Awards from the Mystery Writers of America for 'The Twin in the Tavern' (1994) and for 'Sparrows in the Scullery' (1998). 'Cousins in The Castle' (1997 and 'Ghosts in the Gallery' (2001) were also nominated for an Edgar Award.

Reviews

[Lesa Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great YA book by Barbara Brooks Wallace. A little mystery taking place in New York. Boys who were taken off the streets to work in factories under the guise of helping them.

[Aerin Proffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must have read this book 400 times as a kid. It's my favorite Barbara Brooks Wallace book... which might be weird, because its about a group of boys, and i am certainly not that. But it is about a group of friends that make their own found-family. It's undoubtedly written for a younger audience, so if you're not into that, don't read this.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even with the Gothic style and the doomsday storyline, this book manages to be fun and entertaining. A very good read!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Dickensonian with hilarious and telling surnames, the author tells a parallel story to Iliver Twist very well.
Spoilers :
Hip is sold by his uncle to get his fortune. His cousins fiancée finds hip when she observes the school where only he can read . He makes friends with the boys his first friends and they come to live with him when he moves back up in the world

[Katrina Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second or third time through this book. It is a heart-warming little story. The characters are one-dimensional. But it's still a great read for children. My husband and I enjoyed it this time!

[Alicia Lesko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a child, and that is high praise from a bookworm. Pretty much every book by Barbara Brooks Wallace lives forever in my heart. Maybe I was obsessed with orphans? Whatever the reason, I love this book.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sick and wrong.

[Valerie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.

[Harley Woolstenhulme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable, lovely, cute, etc etc etc. Found this book on accident, loved every bit of it.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Dickens-like sort of tale complete w/ the evil sounding names. The grimness is mitigated by the fairy tale ending.