The Metropolitans

It’s December 7, 1941, and as the United States teeters on the brink of war, four kids from very different backgrounds are drawn to New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art where they team up to prevent a terrorist attack on the city.

 

There’s plenty of suspenseful derring-do as the protagonists sort out clues hidden around the city that reveal the exact nature of the attack, and a rich Arthurian subplot that is nicely integrated into the action.  But what really sets this book apart is the strong character development of the four teammates, each of whom must face down fears and anxieties in order to succeed.  Madge, an Irish-American girl with a streetwise exterior, is still reeling from the death of her mother.  Joe, a Mohawk boy on the run from a brutal boarding school, laments the loss of his cultural heritage.  Walt is a German-Jewish immigrant who feels like a weakling because he couldn’t save his parents from the Holocaust.  And Kiku, who has been living in the United States with her professor father, is a victim of anti-Japanese hysteria.

 

Historical fantasy with lots of mystery and action, finishing with a heartwarming resolution for a cast of appealing characters.