Book Review: Operation Bunny by Sally Gardner

Operation Bunny is the first book in the Wings & Co series by Sally Gardner. This children's chapter book begins on a quirky note, and continues in that vein. Emily Vole makes headline news in the first weeks of her life, when she is found in an abandoned hatbox in Stansted Airport. she is adopted by a vain and greedy couple that had always wanted children, but did not get quite what they expected with Emily.  When their own children are born things become even worse for Emily, only to discover allies in her neighbor Mrs String dies leaving Emily a mysterious inheritance: an old shop, a small bunch of golden keys and a cat called Fidget.

Operation Bunny is a great opening to a fun and quirky series that I am looking forward to continuing. Emily is a good natured girl, unfortunately her adopted parents are not. they are greedy and overly concerned with appearance. when they adopt Emily they expected a perfect doll that would look like them, when Emily does not met this expectation they try to change that. When they have triplets, Emily is relegated to free labor. However, Emily remains a sweet girl doing her best. When she fosters a friendship with Mrs. String and the unusual cat Fidget life becomes much better for Emily. Unfortunately, after the good comes a big bad and soon Emily is in big trouble and her only hope is to find a mysterious moving shop, open it, and get some fairies back on duty. Mystery, adventure, and more will keep middle grade readers turning the pages and looking for more.

As I read Operation Bunny my first question was why I had not already read it. Magic, adventure, and quirky fun are right up my alley. The characters and the story are delightful and just might grab the attention of some reluctant readers. I need to get my hands on The Three Pickled Herrings and see what happens next.