Oracle Doll, The - Softcover

Grade 4-6 In this contemporary fantasy, a talking doll who may actually be the Delphic Oracle enlivens a boring summer for three children in a Boston suburb. Dexter has a real feel for the ordinary details of a child's world, for the heat and quarrels of a long summer spent in one backyard. She skillfully and unobtrusively uses Gabriella, the doll who foretells the future, as a catalyst not only for adventure, but also for growth on the part of Rose, the ten-year-old narrator. A light touch of humor balances the tension that builds as Rose, her five-year-old sister Lucy and their friend James discover that Gabriella's predictions come true. The one less convincing note is struck with the character of a mysterious doll expert who disappears with Gabby at the end of the story. His presence is necessary to the plot, but he isn't believable in the same way as the children, their parents and even stiff, plastic Gabriella. Dexter has written an absorbing story; in general her blending of fantasy and reality is excellent. Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library
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