Inspired by a famous Lewis Hine photograph, Elizabeth Winthrop’s latest book is set in a Vermont mill town in 1910, when child labor was common, and a bright, eager girl had to struggle to receive an education. Against a backdrop of callous mill owners, national calls for labor reform, and a family that can barely make ends meet, Winthrops protagonist, the courageous 12 year old Grace Forcier, strives to balance the needs of her family, the call of her true self, and her profound sense of right and wrong.

Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, ISBN # 0-385-74644-X

Paperback Yearling, ISBN # 0-553-48783-3

“Winthrop’s compelling story vividly captures the mill experience. Much information on early photography and the workings of the textile mills is conveyed, and history and fiction are woven seamlessly together in this beautifully written novel. Readers won’t soon forget Grace.”
–Starred Review, School Library Journal  (more…)

Winner of The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award
and The California Young Readers Medal

Ten year old William can’t wait to play with the mysterious castle his housekeeper, Mrs. Phillips, has given him. For years she has been telling him about the old stone and wood model with its drawbridge, moat and the finger-high knight to guard the gates. And now it is his.

But when William learns that Mrs. Phillips is going back to England to live with her brother, he vows to find a way to keep Mrs. Phillips with him forever. And when he breaks the spell cast on the tiny silver knight, he suddenly knows how to do it.

But William’s big idea turns out to be the worst mistake of his life!

This is an enthralling story of magic and fantasy, which weaves the everyday problems of growing up into the age-old battle between good and evil. William’s quest takes him on a journey to a land where he must fight a ferocious dragon, a wicked wizard and worst of all, the darkness within himself.

“A satisfying quest fantasy with a strong element of modern realism which will appeal to a wide range of readers.” -School Library Journal (more…)

A Sequel to THE CASTLE IN THE ATTIC

When William turns twelve, he wonders if Jason is still his best friend. In the past year, Jason has grown a foot while William is still a shrimp. When Jason challenges William to “jump the trains,” William is terrified. How else can he prove himself to Jason?

William has the chance when Mrs. Phillips sends him the magic token that can once again transport him back to Sir Simon’s castle in the Middle ages, this time with Jason. There they must face a dangerous army of rats and their gigantic leader.

Once William was a hero in the castle. Now it’s up to him to destroy the rats and save the kingdom in the final battle for the castle.

“Likable characters, swashbuckling heroics and goofy culture clashes…charms aplenty.” -Publishers Weekly

Holiday House, 1993
Bantam Paperback, 1994
Unabridged Audio Book, Listening Library, 1997 (AlA Notable Recording)
As twelve year old William battles to save the castle, he discovers that there is more than one way to become a hero.
“a beautifully blended mixture of fantasy and adventure” – Booklist

ISBN: 0823410102
Audio ISBN: 0807281891

Here they are, my five tap dancing rats who tiptoed out of the pages of DUMPY LA RUE (thanks to my amazing illustrator, Betsy Lewin) and marched right into a comic fantasy novel of their own. Their names are Benny, Fletcher, Ella, Woody and Monk and as the Rattoons, a jazz and tap group, they travel to Rat Hollow, the rat community that pulses with a life all its own beneath the streets of New York City.

But when Rat Hollow turns its back on them, the Rattoons break the law and take their act aboveground to dance for humans in front of the Metropolitan Museum, only to find that danger assails them from every direction. Will Monk survive the treacherous trip through the museum fountain? Will Fletcher escape the ferocious jaws of Napoleon, the nastiest rat catcher in Central Park? With the cards stacked against them, how will the Rattoons ever realize their dream of a tap dancing life? In the end the Rattoons are forced to put their trust in Oliver String Bean Bailey, the legendary impresario and the only human ever to learn ratspeak. (more…)