Eleven-year-old Tiphany is enchanted by her town’s dollhouse store and would love to own a small antique doll, named Gretel, for her own. Tiph is longing for a friend and wishes she could feel more at home with her family as she tries to connect with her stepmother and young half-siblings. After helping an old lady named Szilvia from collapsing on the street, she lands a job walking her dog. Come to find out, Szilvia is actually planning to restore an old dollhouse from her childhood. During a visit to the dollhouse store, Tiph shoplifts Gretel while Szilvia purchases another doll named Red, only for Tiph to lose Gretel somewhere in Szilvia’s house. From there, while Tiph holds the guilt of her shoplifting secret and continues to bond with Szilvia, the two dolls hatch their own plans to have the lives they’ve been dreaming of.  

The escapades of Gretel and Red as they try to navigate the human world and find their own fulfillment are endearing. Each doll has its own distinct personality, and the longing to belong and be loved by a child mirrors Tiph’s own desires to be understood and seen. The inclusion of older and younger generations making close connections is lovely, and the development of our flawed main characters is well done. A warm, sweet, emotional story exploring mistakes, forgiveness, loneliness, friendship, and the complexity of family–blended, found, or otherwise. 

Ages 9-12

Recommended for Cream of the Crop.

Kerrie Lattari, York Middle School, York