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Felicity Bathburn #1
The Romeo and Juliet Code
A sudden trip to a seaside house. A boy with brown sugar eyes. And then , a mysterious letter.Felicity's glamorous parents have a secret. When they leave her with distant relatives in Maine, far away from the battles of WWII, Felicity hopes they won't be gone for long. Her new Uncle Gideon hides things. Her Aunt Miami is star-crossed. And Derek, a kid her age, refuses to leave his room.But Felicity needs Derek's help. Gideon is getting coded letters from Felicity's parents, and she's sure they're in trouble. Can Felicity crack the code, heal the family and save her parents, all while surviving her first crush? It's a tall order for a small girl, but Felicity is up for the challenge.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
165 people are currently reading
2331 people want to read
About the author
Phoebe Stone
16 books156 followersBefore concentrating on creating books for children and young adults, Phoebe Stone had a very successful career established as a fine art's painter. During that time, she received two Vermont Council on the Arts Fellowships in painting and exhibited her work in many museums and galleries all around New England and New York City, and influenced many New England artists with her unique, brightly colored narrative and metaphorical style. "I was already working in sequences," she says, "but at some point I began to realize that I could combine my love for images and words in picture books for children."
Phoebe's picture books include When Wind Bear Goes Dancing, What Night do the Angels Wander, and Go Away, Shelly Boo! Original art from When Wind Bear Goes Dancing was included in the Society of Illustrators' Original Art '97 show. Go Away, Shelly Boo! was chosen as an American Bookseller Association's Pick of the Lists.
She has also written three novels, All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, Sonata #1 for Riley Red, and Deep Down Popular. The New York Times said of All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, "Stone's prose is poetic." The Boston Globe said of Sonata #1 for Riley Red, "Literature doesn't get much better than this."
Phoebe Stone lives in Middlebury, Vermont.
Phoebe's picture books include When Wind Bear Goes Dancing, What Night do the Angels Wander, and Go Away, Shelly Boo! Original art from When Wind Bear Goes Dancing was included in the Society of Illustrators' Original Art '97 show. Go Away, Shelly Boo! was chosen as an American Bookseller Association's Pick of the Lists.
She has also written three novels, All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, Sonata #1 for Riley Red, and Deep Down Popular. The New York Times said of All the Blue Moons at the Wallace Hotel, "Stone's prose is poetic." The Boston Globe said of Sonata #1 for Riley Red, "Literature doesn't get much better than this."
Phoebe Stone lives in Middlebury, Vermont.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 529 reviews
January 26, 2016
So, when this book first came out, all I head about it was people complaining about the cover, because it doesn't scream World War II historical. And I felt a little bad on it's behalf, not least of which because my mom was a kid in the forties and she totally rocked the jeans like 90% of the time, if the snapshots are to be believed. And then it took for-freaking-ever for me to get my hands on a library copy and in that interim I think my wanting-to-like-it grew to an unreasonable degree (I admit it; if you tell me I can't have something, it makes me want it more and more and more). And this little book, solid little thing that it is, just couldn't scale those heights. But, I liked it and I liked that it was a historical that didn't beat you over the head with it's historicalness. It did, however, beat you over the head with the term "British child" which drove me absolutely bonkers. Like, seriously.
Anyway, it's good but not great. I liked the characters but I'll probably forget them any day now.
And the cover *is* misleading. But not because it doesn't scream historical (I'm totally okay with that; I hate the stereotypical historical covers) or because the kids are wearing jeans and chucks, but because it makes the book seem all lovey-dovey kissy face, and it's totes not.
Anyway, it's good but not great. I liked the characters but I'll probably forget them any day now.
And the cover *is* misleading. But not because it doesn't scream historical (I'm totally okay with that; I hate the stereotypical historical covers) or because the kids are wearing jeans and chucks, but because it makes the book seem all lovey-dovey kissy face, and it's totes not.
May 28, 2011
I know I would have loved this and reread it several times if I'd read it first when I was ten. The things that bother me some now, some inconsistencies and loose ends and crowding of plot, wouldn't have bothered me then.
This book's been mentioned as a Newbery contender, but I don't think it's quite there. In particular, Felicity's voice often sounds TOO self-consciously "British". Like an American girl who goes to England with her parents for a week and comes back and wants to impress her friends with how British she is now, the equivalent of going to France and then saying "Mais oui!" all the time.
The family in the book is crazy macabre, and I don't think I ever got a real handle on... why. Actually, I didn't fully get a handle on "why" a lot of things. Some of the unanswered questions didn't bug me at all because I could tell they were meant to be that way, but others... I just felt like I was missing something.
This book's been mentioned as a Newbery contender, but I don't think it's quite there. In particular, Felicity's voice often sounds TOO self-consciously "British". Like an American girl who goes to England with her parents for a week and comes back and wants to impress her friends with how British she is now, the equivalent of going to France and then saying "Mais oui!" all the time.
The family in the book is crazy macabre, and I don't think I ever got a real handle on... why. Actually, I didn't fully get a handle on "why" a lot of things. Some of the unanswered questions didn't bug me at all because I could tell they were meant to be that way, but others... I just felt like I was missing something.
November 8, 2011
It seems unfair that my attention was first drawn to The Romeo and Juliet Code because of its cover. No book deserves to be held responsible for its misleading jacket and Phoebe Stone's latest is no exception. Set during the Second World War, the book looks like a rejected shot from a GAP catalog more than a historical novel (pink Converse?? Really??). When ire was aimed at the jacket early on I remember many a supporter saying, "It's such a pity it has that cover because the story is wonderful!" Willing to give it the benefit of the doubt (after all, The Trouble with May Amelia has a similar problem and is a magnificent bit of writing) I plucked up a copy from a friend and started to read. Oh my. No book, as I say, deserves to be held responsible for the sins of its jacket, but this book has sins of its own above and beyond its packaging. Ostensibly a kind of mystery for kids, folks with a low twee tolerance would do best to steer clear of this one. It is indeed beloved in its own right but this particular reviewer found its style to be strangely grating. As historical fiction goes, this does not go to the top of my list.
Flissy has found herself unceremoniously dumped. One minute she is living happily in her flat in England with her parents Winnie and Danny (though she doesn't much care for the bombing going on outside). Next thing she knows they've managed to hitch a ride on a ship bound for America and she is left in the care of an unmarried uncle, an unmarried aunt, and a grandmother, none of whom she has ever met before. Her initial homesickness and loneliness are partly appeased when she starts uncovering the secrets lurking in the house. A hitherto unknown cousin by the name of Derek is found upstairs. Uncle Gideon is receiving strange coded messages and they seem to be coming from Flissy's Danny. And why does everyone keep talking about the whispers in the nearby town? What other secrets can one family harbor? Flissy doesn't know but with the help of her cousin she is bound to find out the whole truth.
I have an unattractive habit that comes out whenever a book starts to grow repetitive in some way. I count. Which is to say, I count the number of times that repetitive element appears. When I read Eragon for the first time I counted how many times a chapter began with some version of "Eragon woke up" (final count: twenty-one chapters do this). In the case of The Romeo and Juliet Code my weirdness was prompted by the author's use of the term "ever so" as in "I was ever so interested in the number of times `ever so' appeared in this book." There are thirty-seven moments when the phrase pops up. In two cases the phrase appears twice on a single page. Reading an advanced readers galley of the book I was convinced that this had to be a typo of some sort. Surely the author got a little carried away and the copy editor would lay down the law before publication time, yes? Apparently not. On the child_lit listserv the book's editor spoke about the ubiquitous cascade of "ever so"s. There was an intention to make the phrases prolific at the start of the story when Flissy is clutching to her British identity like her stuffed bear and then to slowly weed them out by the story's end. A noble idea that didn't quite pan out. There is indeed a portion of the book where the phrase dies out. That would be between pages 131-159. Then they come back full force. Indeed, there is no lessening of the words, so that you get to the final one on page 286 while the story ends on page 295.
This does explain a different problem I had with the novel, though. I had a hard time believing that Flissy was English. Every time she pulled out a Britishism, be it "chap" or "putted along" or any of the other hundreds of words and phrases dotting the text it felt . . . well, it felt like Flissy a girl who had visited England for a little while and was trying too hard to sound like she was from there. To be blunt, she sounded American to my tin Yankee ears. The editor in that same child_lit explanation said that two Brits vetted the book, so really I shouldn't have any objections at all. Still, every time I was just about to sink into the story, out Flissy would come with a sentence like, "I am very fond of Mr. Churchill. He's our lovely prime minister in England," and my teeth would start to grit. Add in the near ridiculous number of secrets kept from Flissy at the start for some rather shaky reasons (they didn't tell her that her sick cousin lived upstairs for what reason exactly?) and it made for slow going.
Yeah, but would a kid care? Honestly the bulk of child readers picking up this book aren't going to mind two bits if the heroine refers to herself as "very much more clever" and the like. They're going to care far more about the characters and the story. Which is all well and good until you come to realize that as a heroine Flissy is a bit of a wet blanket. You want her to solve the mystery of the code the minute you hear about it, but after she and Derek discover the coded letters, their efforts to decode them are, for chapters at a time, largely forgotten. Once in a while Derek will mention that the code isn't found in any of the code books he's read, and Flissy might track down the mailman again so as to get a new letter but it isn't until a third character practically physically hands them the answer without any prompting that they start trying to actively solve it. My thinking is that if the word "code" is in the title then your protagonists have to be a little proactive about said code. Otherwise it just feels like the author is treading water.
The Romeo and Juliet Code has been most frequently compared to The Secret Garden and it's easy to understand why. Both books begin with girls sent to live with hitherto unknown uncles and who discover hidden male cousins who have an inflated sense of their own physical uselessness. Of course that all ends somewhere around page 127 and so the comparison sort of peters out. There's also the fact that Mary Lenox, the star of The Secret Garden, works as a character because she's a spoiled little brat. You don't like Mary, yet over the redemptive course of the book you come to love her. Flissy isn't really like that. True, I found her unlikable at the start, but in a different way. Flissy felt self-absorbed to me. She was a realistic portrayal of a girl immature for her age, and while you might know that kind of person in real life, it's hard to stay in her presence for as long as a novel requires.
In spite of her immaturity Flissy is a romantic, crushing on her cousin. Precocious girls of the romantic persuasion are maybe the hardest characters in the world to write. Phoebe Stone, therefore, has my utter sympathy on this one. It's very hard to write an Anne of Green Gables / Girl from The Fantasticks. You have to walk this delicate line between the earnest and the ridiculous. So while I cringed every time Flissy commented on Derek's various positive qualities, at the same time I couldn't help but acknowledge the truth behind them. Girls really do think that way. It's not necessarily pleasant to read, but it's honest.
Some folks have found the surprise at the ending of the tale to be predictable, but that didn't bother me particularly. As I see it, most kids probably won't see it coming and those that do will simply feel pleased with themselves. What did bother me was the rest of the novel itself. The passive protagonist. The odd speech patterns that attempt to be historically accurate but feel as if the writer is trying too hard. Dig deep enough down into The Romeo and Juliet Code and I think you could find characters and ideas worth exploring in a novel. It's a pity all of that is buried beneath a style that hurts rather than helps. The book will find its audience, there is little doubt. Enjoying it, however, will have to be taken on a case-by-case basis.
For ages 9-12.
Flissy has found herself unceremoniously dumped. One minute she is living happily in her flat in England with her parents Winnie and Danny (though she doesn't much care for the bombing going on outside). Next thing she knows they've managed to hitch a ride on a ship bound for America and she is left in the care of an unmarried uncle, an unmarried aunt, and a grandmother, none of whom she has ever met before. Her initial homesickness and loneliness are partly appeased when she starts uncovering the secrets lurking in the house. A hitherto unknown cousin by the name of Derek is found upstairs. Uncle Gideon is receiving strange coded messages and they seem to be coming from Flissy's Danny. And why does everyone keep talking about the whispers in the nearby town? What other secrets can one family harbor? Flissy doesn't know but with the help of her cousin she is bound to find out the whole truth.
I have an unattractive habit that comes out whenever a book starts to grow repetitive in some way. I count. Which is to say, I count the number of times that repetitive element appears. When I read Eragon for the first time I counted how many times a chapter began with some version of "Eragon woke up" (final count: twenty-one chapters do this). In the case of The Romeo and Juliet Code my weirdness was prompted by the author's use of the term "ever so" as in "I was ever so interested in the number of times `ever so' appeared in this book." There are thirty-seven moments when the phrase pops up. In two cases the phrase appears twice on a single page. Reading an advanced readers galley of the book I was convinced that this had to be a typo of some sort. Surely the author got a little carried away and the copy editor would lay down the law before publication time, yes? Apparently not. On the child_lit listserv the book's editor spoke about the ubiquitous cascade of "ever so"s. There was an intention to make the phrases prolific at the start of the story when Flissy is clutching to her British identity like her stuffed bear and then to slowly weed them out by the story's end. A noble idea that didn't quite pan out. There is indeed a portion of the book where the phrase dies out. That would be between pages 131-159. Then they come back full force. Indeed, there is no lessening of the words, so that you get to the final one on page 286 while the story ends on page 295.
This does explain a different problem I had with the novel, though. I had a hard time believing that Flissy was English. Every time she pulled out a Britishism, be it "chap" or "putted along" or any of the other hundreds of words and phrases dotting the text it felt . . . well, it felt like Flissy a girl who had visited England for a little while and was trying too hard to sound like she was from there. To be blunt, she sounded American to my tin Yankee ears. The editor in that same child_lit explanation said that two Brits vetted the book, so really I shouldn't have any objections at all. Still, every time I was just about to sink into the story, out Flissy would come with a sentence like, "I am very fond of Mr. Churchill. He's our lovely prime minister in England," and my teeth would start to grit. Add in the near ridiculous number of secrets kept from Flissy at the start for some rather shaky reasons (they didn't tell her that her sick cousin lived upstairs for what reason exactly?) and it made for slow going.
Yeah, but would a kid care? Honestly the bulk of child readers picking up this book aren't going to mind two bits if the heroine refers to herself as "very much more clever" and the like. They're going to care far more about the characters and the story. Which is all well and good until you come to realize that as a heroine Flissy is a bit of a wet blanket. You want her to solve the mystery of the code the minute you hear about it, but after she and Derek discover the coded letters, their efforts to decode them are, for chapters at a time, largely forgotten. Once in a while Derek will mention that the code isn't found in any of the code books he's read, and Flissy might track down the mailman again so as to get a new letter but it isn't until a third character practically physically hands them the answer without any prompting that they start trying to actively solve it. My thinking is that if the word "code" is in the title then your protagonists have to be a little proactive about said code. Otherwise it just feels like the author is treading water.
The Romeo and Juliet Code has been most frequently compared to The Secret Garden and it's easy to understand why. Both books begin with girls sent to live with hitherto unknown uncles and who discover hidden male cousins who have an inflated sense of their own physical uselessness. Of course that all ends somewhere around page 127 and so the comparison sort of peters out. There's also the fact that Mary Lenox, the star of The Secret Garden, works as a character because she's a spoiled little brat. You don't like Mary, yet over the redemptive course of the book you come to love her. Flissy isn't really like that. True, I found her unlikable at the start, but in a different way. Flissy felt self-absorbed to me. She was a realistic portrayal of a girl immature for her age, and while you might know that kind of person in real life, it's hard to stay in her presence for as long as a novel requires.
In spite of her immaturity Flissy is a romantic, crushing on her cousin. Precocious girls of the romantic persuasion are maybe the hardest characters in the world to write. Phoebe Stone, therefore, has my utter sympathy on this one. It's very hard to write an Anne of Green Gables / Girl from The Fantasticks. You have to walk this delicate line between the earnest and the ridiculous. So while I cringed every time Flissy commented on Derek's various positive qualities, at the same time I couldn't help but acknowledge the truth behind them. Girls really do think that way. It's not necessarily pleasant to read, but it's honest.
Some folks have found the surprise at the ending of the tale to be predictable, but that didn't bother me particularly. As I see it, most kids probably won't see it coming and those that do will simply feel pleased with themselves. What did bother me was the rest of the novel itself. The passive protagonist. The odd speech patterns that attempt to be historically accurate but feel as if the writer is trying too hard. Dig deep enough down into The Romeo and Juliet Code and I think you could find characters and ideas worth exploring in a novel. It's a pity all of that is buried beneath a style that hurts rather than helps. The book will find its audience, there is little doubt. Enjoying it, however, will have to be taken on a case-by-case basis.
For ages 9-12.
July 27, 2021
I feel like i want to like this book but i can’t completely. The beginning of the story was so engaging and i loved the book so much. i was told this would be more like a romance and mystery book but i got more mystery than romance. i feel like the ending just ended and not the way i wanted it to so i felt a little empty.
March 23, 2018
This was a really good book. A british girl goes to live in America with her uncle because her parents are helping children in the World war 2 to escape. Over there, letters arrive for her uncle from portugal and france but she knows it's from her dad. Her uncle does''t let her read them, and snatches it out of her hands so fast. By the time the third letter arrives, She has to figure out what's going on. She teams up with a boy called Derek and they both work together to crack the code.
June 15, 2011
Review originally posted here.
A lot of my negative reaction to this book is because I am well and truly tired of the whole "kid is abandoned by parent(s) with obscure little known relatives and has to be brave and learn something" story. So why did I read this? Hope that eventually someone has to subvert the trope. Hope that the mystery would be mysterious and intriguing. Hope for a good examination of British/American relations and thoughts in 1941. This book is sadly lacking in all of these.
Despite what the synopsis implies Felicity is nothing like Mary Lennox. Felicity is a hard character to like and almost impossible to empathize with. She is twelve and still talks about her teddy bear as if he were a living being. She doesn't cry into him at night whispering her secrets wishing he were real, she talks like he actually is real. Which is why I think this book would be tough for anyone over the age of 10 to take seriously. And even 8-10 year olds might find their credulity being stretched. Felicity has issues, no doubt. Her parents often left her on her own to go and do their own thing. Her grandmother claims this is the reason she is immature. I think she has issues that go beyond immaturity that more than cracking a spy code and finding a crush will fix, but this book is not that deep so the mystery and the boy do the trick here.
But what annoyed me the most was the book's REVELATION, which I saw coming from the first chapter, but a child reader wouldn't. That is not what bothers me about the revelation, it's what follows.
The emotional vapidity of the novel made it impossible for me to enjoy.
A lot of my negative reaction to this book is because I am well and truly tired of the whole "kid is abandoned by parent(s) with obscure little known relatives and has to be brave and learn something" story. So why did I read this? Hope that eventually someone has to subvert the trope. Hope that the mystery would be mysterious and intriguing. Hope for a good examination of British/American relations and thoughts in 1941. This book is sadly lacking in all of these.
Despite what the synopsis implies Felicity is nothing like Mary Lennox. Felicity is a hard character to like and almost impossible to empathize with. She is twelve and still talks about her teddy bear as if he were a living being. She doesn't cry into him at night whispering her secrets wishing he were real, she talks like he actually is real. Which is why I think this book would be tough for anyone over the age of 10 to take seriously. And even 8-10 year olds might find their credulity being stretched. Felicity has issues, no doubt. Her parents often left her on her own to go and do their own thing. Her grandmother claims this is the reason she is immature. I think she has issues that go beyond immaturity that more than cracking a spy code and finding a crush will fix, but this book is not that deep so the mystery and the boy do the trick here.
But what annoyed me the most was the book's REVELATION, which I saw coming from the first chapter, but a child reader wouldn't. That is not what bothers me about the revelation, it's what follows.
The emotional vapidity of the novel made it impossible for me to enjoy.
November 29, 2016
I Loved this book because it was set in maine!! It was hard for me to get into the book. The start was little slow, but the overall book wasn't to bad.
January 21, 2012
I had a hard time putting this book down once I began reading it. Felicity comes from London to Maine with her parents during World War ll and is left with her father's family. She has no idea when her parents will return. She has never met her father's family and although they do their best to make her feel welcome there are also a lot of family secrets. Why has her uncle nailed the piano shut and will no longer play it? Why are these people so cold towards her mother? There are also these mysterious letters that come addressed to her uncle from her father. Her uncle refuses to let her see the letters, but Felicity sneaks into his room and sees that the letters are just a bunch of numbers. And the letters are coming from Portugal. Felicity's parents are supposed to be in London. Eventually Felicity solves the many mysteries and there are quite some family secrets. This book is a great mix of historical fiction and mystery. A great read! One thing that I found strange about this book is the cover. It gives you a sense that this is a teenage love story particularly with the title including Romeo and Juliet, but it is not the case at all.
March 18, 2011
I liked so much about this book: the quirky, endearing characters, the writing style that brought to mind A.A. Milne for some reason, the mysteries surrounding Felicity's parents, Felicity's charming British style, and her relationship with her bear Wink. There were two things that bothered me. The cover is attractive, yet has no apparent relationship to the book. Did the wrong cover get put on this book? It leads one to imagine they're about to read a contemporary story, not one set in the 1940s! And,although I respect the sacrifices made by spies, it still doesn't seem right to leave your young daughter alone in London, especially when bombs could be falling at any time! Couldn't Felicity's parents have had a SOE friend look after her when they went on their missions?!?! Despite these 2 issues, I still gave the book 4 stars.
August 7, 2017
The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone was a surprising, cute historical fiction book which I would recommend in a heartbeat to someone.
The plot: Felicity, an eleven-year-old girl from England, is sent under mysterious circumstances to her distant relatives in Maine. Her parents Winnie and Danny drop her off and leave in a hurry, but not before an awkward interaction with Gideon, Felicity's uncle. Felicity starts to wonder what is really going on when letters from Danny are being hidden and family secrets are being kept, all while trying to survive her first crush.
The characters: Felecity (Flissy) - 4 stars. She was a little prideful of her British heritage (I got a little tired of hearing "British children are usually ever so polite" and "British children are usually ever so brave", and blah, blah, blah. ) but I got over that. She was relateable, which is always something I'm looking for. I could personally relate to some of the stuff she was going through. Derek (Captain Derek) - 3 stars. He was okay, he just didn't exude much personality. The whole polio and Derek disabled thing seemed just thrown in there to represent disable people. If Pheobe Stone wanted to make a good character, she should have added more personality to Derek. Others- 4 stars. Pretty good and unique for supporting characters.
Negatives- None that I haven't already stated.
The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone was a surprising, cute historical fiction book which I would recommend in a heartbeat to someone.
The plot: Felicity, an eleven-year-old girl from England, is sent under mysterious circumstances to her distant relatives in Maine. Her parents Winnie and Danny drop her off and leave in a hurry, but not before an awkward interaction with Gideon, Felicity's uncle. Felicity starts to wonder what is really going on when letters from Danny are being hidden and family secrets are being kept, all while trying to survive her first crush.
The characters: Felecity (Flissy) - 4 stars. She was a little prideful of her British heritage (I got a little tired of hearing "British children are usually ever so polite" and "British children are usually ever so brave", and blah, blah, blah. ) but I got over that. She was relateable, which is always something I'm looking for. I could personally relate to some of the stuff she was going through. Derek (Captain Derek) - 3 stars. He was okay, he just didn't exude much personality. The whole polio and Derek disabled thing seemed just thrown in there to represent disable people. If Pheobe Stone wanted to make a good character, she should have added more personality to Derek. Others- 4 stars. Pretty good and unique for supporting characters.
Negatives- None that I haven't already stated.
The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone was a surprising, cute historical fiction book which I would recommend in a heartbeat to someone.
January 23, 2018
This book was really, really good! It was kind of boring in the beginning, but halfway through the book it gets a lot better and much more exciting. The beginning wasn't boring enough that I wanted to stop reading, but I wasn't sure I liked this until the middle when the story got much better. It's more adventurous and things actually happen (aside from Felicity moping and being miserable). I can't wait to read the next book!
December 2, 2017
Romeo and Juliet Code is about 6 people Winnie who is the mum,Danny who is the dad and Uncle Gideon,Auntie Miami,The Gram, Felicity and Derek
This a about Felicity Ludwig her Winnie was a secret Agent so was Danny. Her uncle Gideon got six letters and felicity got curious so she broke into Gideon’s study and copied the the letter but it was all in code by numbers so she just copied them down the numbers that was after she met Derek then she thought That he was hiding something and she was right uncle Gideon was her father if you want to find out the rest you will have to read the book but l loved the whole book
This a about Felicity Ludwig her Winnie was a secret Agent so was Danny. Her uncle Gideon got six letters and felicity got curious so she broke into Gideon’s study and copied the the letter but it was all in code by numbers so she just copied them down the numbers that was after she met Derek then she thought That he was hiding something and she was right uncle Gideon was her father if you want to find out the rest you will have to read the book but l loved the whole book
July 16, 2018
This book is ok. I liked the ending and I didn’t see it coming but it took too long for all the secrets to unravel. I also felt the title was not as important as the story and I was hoping for more regarding Romeo and Juliet.
February 11, 2018
SO PREDICTABLE.
Extremely slow at first and then towards the end everything happened so fast.
Extremely slow at first and then towards the end everything happened so fast.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2025
3/5 stars.
I fully know I’m not the target audience for this but I found it an enjoyable read.
I fully know I’m not the target audience for this but I found it an enjoyable read.
September 29, 2017
I got this from the public library and it in my opinion is good.
February 14, 2012
Felicity is mysteriously dropped off at her grandmother’s home in Bottlebay, Maine by her parents. There is so much tension between family members that Felicity wonders what happened to make grandma not come out of the house to greet her son who is Felicity’s dad. Her uncle won’t return her dad’s hug or look at her Mom in greeting. What’s going on? Then there is the wooden door on the second floor that is always closed and that she is to avoid. She knows that someone is in there, but who is it? Felicity does know that her family left London because of the constant bombing. World War II has started and it is too dangerous to live there. Her family finds secret passage to America but her parents whom she calls, “my Winnie” and “my Danny” don’t stay with Felicity. They return to Europe.
Scared, homesick, and lonely, Felicity talks to her teddy bear as a way to deal with all the changes and the lack of adults in her life. She knows that she is too old to carry around a teddy bear but it is the one constant in her life. The reader discovers that in London, Felicity’s parents would leave her home alone and work late nights. They didn’t abuse her but she was neglected. A housekeeper looked after her but not overnight. The new adults or relatives in Felicity’s life whisper around her and don’t give her straight answers. They don’t make it easy for her to adjust to a new country and they have strange secrets such as staying away from the wooden door and not touching the piano that is nailed shut. Gram criticizes Felicity. Felicity, understandedly, responds in anger by not answering them, looking at the ceiling or turning around and facing a wall. She doesn’t want to be there and is in culture shock moving from Britain to America. She is teased for using different words, but eventually settles into a routine. Soon people are adjusting to each other and Felicity develops a loving relationship with her aunt and uncle, as well as, discovering the secret of the mysterious person behind the wooden door. But the biggest surprise comes when she unravels the mystery surrounding the fight between “her Danny” and Uncle Gideon.
This story is so well-written. The voice of the characters are distinct with Uncle Gideon repeating himself often because he’s nervous around Felicity and Aunt Miami who is melodramatic and full of pizzaz. Felicity is British and often talks about how a British kid would act versus an American kid. She thinks about the differences in languages and stereotypes. She changes throughout the story and starts adapting American customs; we hear her calling her “plaits” “braids” and singing jazz songs. The author does a terrific job with the setting. The wind talks to her and reveals her mood. It can be angry, moaning, whipping, or calm, warm, and gentle. Metaphors and similes of the ocean and ships are sprinkled throughout and adds to the powerful New England setting feel: Oh, come now, it’s only a game, you two,” Uncle Gideon said later, after he had crushed us both at Parcheesi and we were sitting there feeling like two smashed-up fishig boats side by side on the beach. Uncle Gideon looked over at us in a terribly cheerful way. p 50-51. This focus on nature reminded me of The Secret Garden, although it isn’t as extreme (see review).
Felicity changes from the beginning to the end of the story gaining confidence and adjusting to a new culture and family. The plot is predictable in some areas but it doesn’t take away from the story. The reader will figure out what’s going on between the parents and what Winnie and Danny do for a living long before Felicity. The mystery is slowly revealed adding tension and keeping the pace moving along. I got a kick out of the part where Felicity reads, The Little Princess, by Frances Burnett Hodgeson and when she has to do chores with The Gram (grandma’s nickname) she compares herself to the orphaned main character in The Little Princess.
Felicity has a crush on a boy so there is some romance but just in her thoughts. She never even tells the boy she likes him. The ending hints at a romance between Aunt Miami and the Postman, Mr. Henley, and leaves the reader with hope that Felicity’s parents will survive the war. .
Scared, homesick, and lonely, Felicity talks to her teddy bear as a way to deal with all the changes and the lack of adults in her life. She knows that she is too old to carry around a teddy bear but it is the one constant in her life. The reader discovers that in London, Felicity’s parents would leave her home alone and work late nights. They didn’t abuse her but she was neglected. A housekeeper looked after her but not overnight. The new adults or relatives in Felicity’s life whisper around her and don’t give her straight answers. They don’t make it easy for her to adjust to a new country and they have strange secrets such as staying away from the wooden door and not touching the piano that is nailed shut. Gram criticizes Felicity. Felicity, understandedly, responds in anger by not answering them, looking at the ceiling or turning around and facing a wall. She doesn’t want to be there and is in culture shock moving from Britain to America. She is teased for using different words, but eventually settles into a routine. Soon people are adjusting to each other and Felicity develops a loving relationship with her aunt and uncle, as well as, discovering the secret of the mysterious person behind the wooden door. But the biggest surprise comes when she unravels the mystery surrounding the fight between “her Danny” and Uncle Gideon.
This story is so well-written. The voice of the characters are distinct with Uncle Gideon repeating himself often because he’s nervous around Felicity and Aunt Miami who is melodramatic and full of pizzaz. Felicity is British and often talks about how a British kid would act versus an American kid. She thinks about the differences in languages and stereotypes. She changes throughout the story and starts adapting American customs; we hear her calling her “plaits” “braids” and singing jazz songs. The author does a terrific job with the setting. The wind talks to her and reveals her mood. It can be angry, moaning, whipping, or calm, warm, and gentle. Metaphors and similes of the ocean and ships are sprinkled throughout and adds to the powerful New England setting feel: Oh, come now, it’s only a game, you two,” Uncle Gideon said later, after he had crushed us both at Parcheesi and we were sitting there feeling like two smashed-up fishig boats side by side on the beach. Uncle Gideon looked over at us in a terribly cheerful way. p 50-51. This focus on nature reminded me of The Secret Garden, although it isn’t as extreme (see review).
Felicity changes from the beginning to the end of the story gaining confidence and adjusting to a new culture and family. The plot is predictable in some areas but it doesn’t take away from the story. The reader will figure out what’s going on between the parents and what Winnie and Danny do for a living long before Felicity. The mystery is slowly revealed adding tension and keeping the pace moving along. I got a kick out of the part where Felicity reads, The Little Princess, by Frances Burnett Hodgeson and when she has to do chores with The Gram (grandma’s nickname) she compares herself to the orphaned main character in The Little Princess.
Felicity has a crush on a boy so there is some romance but just in her thoughts. She never even tells the boy she likes him. The ending hints at a romance between Aunt Miami and the Postman, Mr. Henley, and leaves the reader with hope that Felicity’s parents will survive the war. .
April 3, 2019
This was a good book about WW2, I really like WW2 stories and this one was really good. It kept me in suspense the whole time and even though I finished it, it's still keeping me in suspense. I DID NOT LIKE THE ENDING. It didn't end well at all. It was an amazing book with great comparisons and WW2 information... and then I got to the end. It's one of those books where you hate it and you love it.
March 20, 2015
“The Romeo and Juliet Code” wasn’t the best book I’ve read. I think that it would be better for younger girls. During some parts of the book it was hard to understand what was going on. I think it would have been better if there was more adventure and mystery in the book.
Felicity Bathburn Budwig is an eleven year old girl living during the time of the World War II. Her parents take her to live in Bottlebay, Maine to keep her safe. When they drop her off her parents leave without saying when they’ll be back. Felicity lives with her grandmother, “The Gram”, Aunt Miami, Uncle Gideon, and Captain Derek. Everyone in the Bathburn family has secrets. Uncle Gideon is upset with Danny, Felicity’s father, and Felicity has no idea why. No one will tell Felicity when her parents are coming back and where they are. Everyone is always saying mean things about Felicity’s mom. Captain Derek never comes out of his room. After constantly asking her aunt Felicity discovers that Derek is 12 year old orphan, who suffered from polio. Uncle Gideon receives letters from Portugal. Felicity notices that the handwriting is her father’s, but she thought her parents were in London. The letters are written in a secret code that only Gideon understands. Felicity and Derek form a friendship. Derek comes out of his room and starts to help Felicity solve all the Bathburn secrets. Felicity develops a crush on Derek, even though they are cousins. Aunt Miami is obsessed with Romeo and Juliet. She plays Juliet while Mr. Henley, the mailman, plays Romeo. After a few months Felicity and Derek crack the code. Felicity finds out that Gideon is actually Felicity’s father. Winnie, Felicity’s mother, was married to Gideon for a short time. The letters also state that Danny and Winnie are spies. The book never says anything else about Danny and Winnie. Felicity is excited about staying at her new house with her real father and family.
I would recommend this book to girls in middle school. “The Romeo and Juliet Code” takes place during WWII so there is some history to it. The book is very interesting and you never know what’s going to happen next.
Felicity Bathburn Budwig is an eleven year old girl living during the time of the World War II. Her parents take her to live in Bottlebay, Maine to keep her safe. When they drop her off her parents leave without saying when they’ll be back. Felicity lives with her grandmother, “The Gram”, Aunt Miami, Uncle Gideon, and Captain Derek. Everyone in the Bathburn family has secrets. Uncle Gideon is upset with Danny, Felicity’s father, and Felicity has no idea why. No one will tell Felicity when her parents are coming back and where they are. Everyone is always saying mean things about Felicity’s mom. Captain Derek never comes out of his room. After constantly asking her aunt Felicity discovers that Derek is 12 year old orphan, who suffered from polio. Uncle Gideon receives letters from Portugal. Felicity notices that the handwriting is her father’s, but she thought her parents were in London. The letters are written in a secret code that only Gideon understands. Felicity and Derek form a friendship. Derek comes out of his room and starts to help Felicity solve all the Bathburn secrets. Felicity develops a crush on Derek, even though they are cousins. Aunt Miami is obsessed with Romeo and Juliet. She plays Juliet while Mr. Henley, the mailman, plays Romeo. After a few months Felicity and Derek crack the code. Felicity finds out that Gideon is actually Felicity’s father. Winnie, Felicity’s mother, was married to Gideon for a short time. The letters also state that Danny and Winnie are spies. The book never says anything else about Danny and Winnie. Felicity is excited about staying at her new house with her real father and family.
I would recommend this book to girls in middle school. “The Romeo and Juliet Code” takes place during WWII so there is some history to it. The book is very interesting and you never know what’s going to happen next.
February 21, 2011
Felicity Bathburn Budwig arrives at her father's family home in Maine in the fall of 1940 only to discover that there is tension between her father and his family. She determines not to be influenced by this strange new family, including her Uncle Gideon, Auntie Miami, and The Gram. But as she gets to know them, she realizes that there is more to her family than she ever imagined. The situation gets more complex when she discovers Derek, an adopted boy, who is recovering from polio. When her Uncle Gideon starts receiving letters from Portugal that she is positive come from her parents, who are supposed to be in London. But he won't let her read them. The mystery grows when she and Derek discover that the letters are written in code. She is determined to discover what the letters mean and why her new found family harbors bad feelings toward her parents, Danny and Winnie.
The book is well-written and does a nice job of creating a rather unique setting. I could picture the house on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I could almost smell the ocean breeze. However, I did have a problem with some of the story elements. First, the plot is not very compelling, I had to push myself to finish the book. Although there are a couple of interesting plot twists that help keep the plot going, I'm not sure most kids would bother finishing the book. Second, while the characters are unique enough to be diverting, I didn't really come to care about them a great deal. I only vaguely cared about what happened to them. The book is an interesting read, but not the kind of book that pulls you in.
The book is well-written and does a nice job of creating a rather unique setting. I could picture the house on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I could almost smell the ocean breeze. However, I did have a problem with some of the story elements. First, the plot is not very compelling, I had to push myself to finish the book. Although there are a couple of interesting plot twists that help keep the plot going, I'm not sure most kids would bother finishing the book. Second, while the characters are unique enough to be diverting, I didn't really come to care about them a great deal. I only vaguely cared about what happened to them. The book is an interesting read, but not the kind of book that pulls you in.
June 17, 2011
I really liked this book and might use it as a read-aloud to my class this next year. I certainly plan to read some excerpts and use it as a touchstone book because of the magnificent wording - use of figurative language, particularly. I think we could use it as a mentor piece just for figurative language!
I enjoyed it because it was engaging enough to make me want to keep turning pages to find out what was going to be revealed next. It was not nearly as predictable as some adolescent books I've read (even though one of the revelations sort of nagged at me and made me wonder at the outcome from about mid-point onward).
I also finished the book wondering a bit more about a character or two - what happened to Miami later? What about Derek later? What about Danny and Winnie?
All-in-all I thought it was a pretty good read because it was set here in America at the time of WWII and wasn't a depressing book. While I think we all need to be informed and aware of this time period and the serious issues relating to it, I also think we need to know about what was going on here on the homefront and have a positive perspective without so much heaviness and gravity. (I know I struggle with negativity and depression during my long Holocaust study with my students at times.)
I enjoyed it because it was engaging enough to make me want to keep turning pages to find out what was going to be revealed next. It was not nearly as predictable as some adolescent books I've read (even though one of the revelations sort of nagged at me and made me wonder at the outcome from about mid-point onward).
I also finished the book wondering a bit more about a character or two - what happened to Miami later? What about Derek later? What about Danny and Winnie?
All-in-all I thought it was a pretty good read because it was set here in America at the time of WWII and wasn't a depressing book. While I think we all need to be informed and aware of this time period and the serious issues relating to it, I also think we need to know about what was going on here on the homefront and have a positive perspective without so much heaviness and gravity. (I know I struggle with negativity and depression during my long Holocaust study with my students at times.)
October 25, 2012
The Romeo and Juliet Code
Phoebe Stone
304 pages
historical/realistic fiction.
Flissy B. Budwig expects the united states to be a dreadful and scary new place. After all she has lived in England all of her life. That all changes when she has to come over seas to come to the protected USA in the 1940's. But something happened between her father and her uncle Gideon and Flissy is determined to figure it out. Plus, a boy with polio lives upstairs. Captin Derek. Flissy is changing from Felicity to Flissy. One day her uncle recives a letter from her father. For some odd reason uncle Gideon won't let her open it. Her and Derek open it any way and they find a bunch of numbers, not letters, but numbers. They are now determined to crack the code and once they do some family secrets are revealed.
I really enjoyed this book because it had all the elements a good book needs. It had suspense, romance, history and it felt like I was in the story. This defiantly was one of my favorite books. I gave this book five stars for all of that. The best part for me was probably the suspense in the end where her family secrets are revealed. I also enjoyed when Flissy wrote to president Rosevelt and then he wrote back! Overall, this was a wonderful book and I recomend that you should read it.
Phoebe Stone
304 pages
historical/realistic fiction.
Flissy B. Budwig expects the united states to be a dreadful and scary new place. After all she has lived in England all of her life. That all changes when she has to come over seas to come to the protected USA in the 1940's. But something happened between her father and her uncle Gideon and Flissy is determined to figure it out. Plus, a boy with polio lives upstairs. Captin Derek. Flissy is changing from Felicity to Flissy. One day her uncle recives a letter from her father. For some odd reason uncle Gideon won't let her open it. Her and Derek open it any way and they find a bunch of numbers, not letters, but numbers. They are now determined to crack the code and once they do some family secrets are revealed.
I really enjoyed this book because it had all the elements a good book needs. It had suspense, romance, history and it felt like I was in the story. This defiantly was one of my favorite books. I gave this book five stars for all of that. The best part for me was probably the suspense in the end where her family secrets are revealed. I also enjoyed when Flissy wrote to president Rosevelt and then he wrote back! Overall, this was a wonderful book and I recomend that you should read it.
October 5, 2015
The novel, The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone, is about a bright and bold girl named Felicity Bathburn Budwig. Her parents leave her with her father's family in Maine, without an explanation, far from her beloved and endangered home in England. In addition to this culture shock, 11 year old Felicity is frustrated by her quirky and closed-mouthed relatives including secretive Uncle Gideon and Shakespeare-obsesses Aunt Miami. When Uncle Gideon begins to receive mail from Portugal in her father's handwriting, Felicity and Captain Derek, a 12 year old recovering from Polio, set out to find answers and solve the many mysteries about the letters and Uncle Gideon. Felicity is a deeply empathetic heroine and she reveals many ways of the British children. For instance, the novel states, "British children are usually very brave. I saw many, many of them getting on trains in London...going alone to the countryside to get away from bombs." This novel will get you flipping pages! I really enjoyed the book because it is well written and has a great twist. The author puts a realistic perspective on love, family, hardship, and perseverance.
February 17, 2011
I found this book charming. It is a story about a young girl who is delivered to her grandmother's home under some suspicious circumstances. Her mom and dad don't seem to be welcomed warmly by her dad's brother or mother and when she is left there, no one tells her why or for how long. She struggles with not being able to talk with her parents and not being able to write to them. She has so many questions and no one wants to tell her anything. During the story, many things pop up to give her clues about what is going on. She befriends the boy who has been adopted and they in turn break a code on some letters that have arrived from her dad. The girl finds out about her parents being spies and finds out some other secrets too. It has parts where she thinks about the boy as a boyfriend, but all in all it is a clean read. It would be considered historical fiction due to the references to the president, the war, being in London, the Germans and when the US finally declared war. I liked the book and could see mature girls in 5th grade enjoying it as well.
June 2, 2022
I really was not sure what to think about this at first. Phoebe Stone has a very engaging writing style, so it is really hard to put down one of her books. But then again, I also didn't find myself really loving this story.
Felicity is a curious girl, always trying to figure out what was going on, and for that I loved her. But I felt like it just went too far sometimes. I did not like her relationship with Derick either.
The thing I did love about this book was the unforgettable cast of characters. All of them seemed like you could meet them on the street, and you would know them. At first, they seem over dramatic, but as you get to know them each one has a backstory and a personality that is extremely believable.
Overall, this book was not really my style due mainly to the personality of the main character clashing with mine, and her interactions with Derick. If I could, I would rate it 3.5.
2022> I enjoyed this much more now. I still think Felicity is a bit young for her attraction to Derick, but they were written in a very childlike, believable way. I enjoyed the story.
Felicity is a curious girl, always trying to figure out what was going on, and for that I loved her. But I felt like it just went too far sometimes. I did not like her relationship with Derick either.
The thing I did love about this book was the unforgettable cast of characters. All of them seemed like you could meet them on the street, and you would know them. At first, they seem over dramatic, but as you get to know them each one has a backstory and a personality that is extremely believable.
Overall, this book was not really my style due mainly to the personality of the main character clashing with mine, and her interactions with Derick. If I could, I would rate it 3.5.
2022> I enjoyed this much more now. I still think Felicity is a bit young for her attraction to Derick, but they were written in a very childlike, believable way. I enjoyed the story.
June 22, 2011
I really enjoyed this sweet story. The protagonist is a very spunky young girl forced to leave London because of the German bombings. She is sent off to Maine to stay with family she has never met. The family is eccentric and lost in their individual failures. She must deal with her own lonliness and confusion, but in the process she pulls the rest of her new family out of their shells and back into life. It is an interesting look at rural America in the year leading up to the US joining the war. There is a little bit of love story and some mysterious secret agent stuff. This would be good for middle grades. It would pair nicely with a slightly older novel about the Resistance movement in Holland Tamar: A Novel of Espionage, Passion, and Betrayal
September 10, 2014
I loved this book. I actually read it because my daughter finished it and said I should and I have to admit, the first several chapters I really didn't want to give it a chance. It just started out so strange. But I kept going and ended up really enjoying it. Not only did I love the story, but the writing style was so unique and fun to me. I love when authors have a clever way of writing.
Please just keep in mind, it is a youth book. I've seen criticisms of the cover (no, it doesn't have anything to do with anything) and some of the events that happen feeling real and I didn't have a problem with it at all. Because it was fun and different and clean and kept my interest and I didn't feel the need to critique each little thing.
I am a fan. And hope the next in the series is just as good. (But know that is not often the case.)
Please just keep in mind, it is a youth book. I've seen criticisms of the cover (no, it doesn't have anything to do with anything) and some of the events that happen feeling real and I didn't have a problem with it at all. Because it was fun and different and clean and kept my interest and I didn't feel the need to critique each little thing.
I am a fan. And hope the next in the series is just as good. (But know that is not often the case.)
May 29, 2011
This book was not all what I expected, nor how it was advertised. When I first began reading it, I wasn't so sure about it. However, it charmed me. The book was sweet; in fact, probably too sweet for the age group I teach. I would see this more for 5/6 than junior high.
The only major problem with this book is the big reveal at the end. As an adult, I could see it coming. Kids, I don't think, would anticipate it as well. Still, the way the main character simply accepts the news was awkward and weird. The news is a big deal and yet it is sort of glossed over, as if it didn't really matter.
Overall, though, it was a cute read. It's not something I would want to read all the time, but if you're in the mood for something like it, you will be fairly satisfied.
The only major problem with this book is the big reveal at the end. As an adult, I could see it coming. Kids, I don't think, would anticipate it as well. Still, the way the main character simply accepts the news was awkward and weird. The news is a big deal and yet it is sort of glossed over, as if it didn't really matter.
Overall, though, it was a cute read. It's not something I would want to read all the time, but if you're in the mood for something like it, you will be fairly satisfied.
July 18, 2011
The story is set in Bottlebay, Maine, during WWII. An eleven-year-old girl, Felicity, arrives in Maine from London to stay with her grandmother, aunt, and uncle during the war. She has to cope with the separation from her parents and not being able to communicate with them as well as adjusting to life in America with her relatives whom she just met.
Reminds me a little of Summer of My German Soldier since the main characters in both are young girls coming of age during WWII.
Reminds me a little of Summer of My German Soldier since the main characters in both are young girls coming of age during WWII.
January 16, 2014
I absolutely love this book! I found the language and descriptions beautiful and the analogies incredibly clever.
However I do have to agree with a couple of criticisms from other people. The front cover had no relation to the story, Felicity did seem very unnaturally over-British at the start and the ending seemed abrupt and unfinished (I almost wrote to the author to beg her to give me additional information about the plot an ending) but recently I found out with great relief that she has written a sequel so that solves one of the criticisms!
Other than those problems I recommend anyone just read this book for the fun of it and experience literature at its best!
However I do have to agree with a couple of criticisms from other people. The front cover had no relation to the story, Felicity did seem very unnaturally over-British at the start and the ending seemed abrupt and unfinished (I almost wrote to the author to beg her to give me additional information about the plot an ending) but recently I found out with great relief that she has written a sequel so that solves one of the criticisms!
Other than those problems I recommend anyone just read this book for the fun of it and experience literature at its best!
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