The House Swap
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The Parent Trap meets The Holiday in this heartwarming and funny story of two girls, one American and one British, who become friends and confidantes when their families swap houses, from the acclaimed author of Glitter Gets Everywhere.
Allie is British and dreams of being a spy. Sage is an only child from sunny California. They meet when their families swap houses for the summer.
Though they’re polar opposites, Allie and Sage quickly realize that they’re both dealing with family issues—Sage’s parents may be on the brink of divorce, and Allie’s struggling to feel heard in her big family. It may take a trip around the world for them to find their place at home.
This sweet and emotional story is told in alternating chapters from each girl’s point of view, offering two unique perspectives on family and belonging.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a charming novel positioned as The Parent Trap meets The Holiday, Clark (Glitter Gets Everywhere) centers two 11-year-olds navigating their place within their families. Aspiring spy Allegra "Allie" Greenwood, who lives in a small English village near Bletchley Park, is interpersonally direct but still feels invisible within her bustling family. Shy only child Sage Grayson, who's into crystals, resides in a big L.A. house, where she's focused on reminding her parents that they still love one another. When Sage's mother arranges a girls' trip for herself and Sage—a house swap with the Greenwood family—and a pet's illness keeps Allie and her mother from leaving as planned, Allie and Sage quickly become friends. In alternating, distinct voices, they narrate their growing friendship, which involves sharing confidences and conspiring to save Sage's parents' marriage by getting her dad to England. Clark cozily portrays Allie's tight-knit Costwolds village, where Sage is researching her British great-great-grandmother, and establishes both girls' arc toward learning to talk about their feelings and ask for what they need. Involving some basic spycraft, the result is a likable, low-key tale about life's surprises as well as the trials and rewards of family life. Main characters cue as white. Ages 8–12.
