Ribblestrop

After students arrive at Ribblestrop, they quickly learn that this boarding school is no Hogwarts: it's collapsing and partially burned out, and most of their classmates turn out to be Himalayan orphans. When tough 12-year-old Millie, the only girl at the school, gets lost in WWII-era tunnels running underneath Ribblestrop, she discovers mysterious and frightening experiments taking place. The students work together to rebuild the school while figuring out what is happening in the tunnels. Strange characters%E2%80%94including incoming student Sam, who suffers a torrent of injuries, and a vile new headmistress issuing endless rules%E2%80%94make for some outrageous scenes, but there are also truly terrifying moments, as when Millie finally understands what scientists are trying to achieve (and upon whom they are experimenting). These stand in stark contrast to the anything-goes silliness that runs through the novel; additionally, the orphans can come across like caricatures, and mostly remain part of the backdrop, not protagonists. Despite these tonal inconsistencies, this clever novel, published in 2009 in the U.K., is as unusual as Ribblestrop itself. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. Agent: Jane Turnbull. (Aug.)