The Rat Queen

“Exemplary storytelling. . . . There are dark corners to explore and challenging lessons to be learned, but the overall effect is magical.” — Booklist (starred review)

For Annie’s tenth birthday, her papa gives her a pad of paper, some colored pencils, and the Klimas family secret. It’s called the nuodeema burna, or eater of sins. Every time Annie misbehaves, she has to write down her transgression and stick the paper into a hidey-hole in the floor of their house. But Annie’s inheritance has...