Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature)
Ibbotson’s marvelous dreams-come-true tale about the foundling Annika is really a love story in disguise. Between two people? No, between the author and her birthplace--Vienna, and the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire at the turn of the twentieth century. Who could resist the tortes and strudels eleven-year-old Annika lovingly learns to make under the tutelage of Ellie, her adopted mother? Who could resist the endearingly eccentric household of professors who take Annika in and gently educate her? Who could resist the descriptions of old Vienna’s Prater Gardens, and the Lippizaners . . . . Yet wending its way through all this marvelous schlag is a plot about wicked birthmothers, and friends who yearn to break through boundaries set upon them by birth, and the rising militarism of the neighboring--and less genial--German Empire. Also wafting behind the scenes is one of Ibbotson’s trademark ghosts--in this case the memory of “La Rondine,” the ancient actress whom Annika befriends in the woman’s fading days. It is impossible to describe the many threads that hold this book together. But it is a joy to read. Since the Newbery winner Kate Seredy described her beloved Hungarian puszta in the 1930s and 40s, no one has ever caught the flavor of this time and place as well. 2004, Dutton, $16.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 18))
Ibbotson, master of the "poor orphan makes good" tale, offers another eminently satisfying example, this one wrapped in a valentine to Vienna, the author's natal city. Raised by servants to be "a person who was interested in doing things, not having them," 11-or-so-year-old foundling Annika sees a dream come true when lovely, regal Edeltraut von Tannenberg appears at the door one day, joyously announcing that she's her real mother. Blinded by adoration, Annika barely notices how badly in need of repairs is her fortress-like new home, or how poorly she fits in with her spoiled and predatory new "family." Readers will, though, as piece by piece, the author reveals an elaborate, clever fraud involving faked documents, smoothly plausible lies, and a hoard of supposedly imitation jewelry that Annika has inherited from an elderly neighbor. Creating suspense by letting readers into the scheme long before Annika and her friends, Ibbotson also paints a vivid picture of pre-WWI Vienna, from its delectable pastries to the famed show horses of the Spanish Riding School. Along with this beguiling atmosphere and expertly developed plot, readers will long remember the admirable Annika and cheer her eventual, well-deserved, triumph. Illustrations not seen. 2004, Dutton, 336p, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 10 to 13. Starred Review. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Timnah Card (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, December 2004 (Vol. 58, No. 4))
As a baby, Annika is found in a mountain church near Vienna by Ellie and Sigrid, a cook and a housekeeper, during the glory days of the Austro-Hungarian empire. A third of the way into the book and twelve years into Annika's life, her mother shows up to reclaim her and carry her off to the family estate in Germany, where the lonely girl befriends a stable boy who eventually risks everything he cares about in order to assure her safety. Bearing themes of secrets, betrayal, friendship, family loyalty, and even the promise of romantic love for Annika, this is not the typical Ibbotson storyline--magic has no place in this historically grounded environment. This departure from the author's fundamental style is somewhat successful; part A Little Princess, part The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, the first half of the story is filled out with delectable descriptions of Austrian cooking, several scenes in which Annika's generous personality shows to admiration, and wry portrayals of the all-too-human adults upon whose whims her fate rests. Unfortunately, by the middle of the book it is evident that this rendering of the betrayed orphan heiress story will receive stodgily (i.e., convoluted and coincidence-ridden) traditional treatment, and at the end, the stable boy and his horse are rather forcefully pushed to provide a finishing image that proves unsatisfactory. Still, this period drama of love and misplaced loyalty, jammed with delicious snippets of historical detail, will win its own cadre of dedicated fans. Cheery line drawings add appeal. Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Dutton, 405p, $16.99. Grades 4-6.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2005)
Annika has been raised by cook Ellie and housekeeper Sigrid, but despite her love for her adoptive family, Annika is thrilled when an aristocratic woman shows up to claim her as her daughter. Ibbotson's latest has all the eventfulness of a Victorian orphan adventure and is shot through with good-humored matter-of-factness, and especially with Ibbotson's affection for her setting--1908 Vienna. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2004, Dutton, 405pp, 16.99. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.

Shawn Kerbein (The Kutztown University Book Review, Fall 2005)
A young girl in 1908 Vienna, discovered abandoned in a remote church, is raised by the women who discovered her. She dreams of being claimed by her real mother, even though she is loved by all the people in her life. An unusual friendship begets a series of adventures, with a very unexpected outcome. This is wonderful story of an orphan girl with a big heart whom everyone loves. The plot twists and turns, but ends in a very satisfying manner. The cast includes a wide range of characters, those you want to love and those you love to hate. Included and very much present is the feel of 1908 Vienna, a center for music, knowledge and art. Category: . 2004, Dutton Children’s Books, $16.99. Ages 10 to 14.

Snow Wildsmith (VOYA, February 2005 (Vol. 27, No. 6))
Annika is a foundling. Ellie, a cook, and Sigrid, a housekeeper, found the abandoned baby in a church and raised her in their warm and loving servants' quarters. For eleven years, Annika has grown up happy-learning to be a fine cook and roaming the streets of early twentieth-century Vienna with her friends-until the day that a fine lady, just like the one she has always dreamed about, steps out of a beautiful carriage and tells Annika that she is her long-lost mother. Going with her new mama to live at her family's ancestral home, Spittal, Annika tries to be happy, but all is not well at the crumbling old castle and Annika's friends in Vienna may be the only ones who can save her. Ibbotson's books are some of the finest imports from England. Writing here with her signature style-slightly creepy, but never enough to give the reader true nightmares, only a delicious shiver-her work is the best possible follow-up for younger middle school readers who loved Roald Dahl. Annika's story is not one of Ibbotson's fantasies, but is instead an engaging, page-turning, historical fiction that is highly recommended for all libraries. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2004, Dutton, 336p., $16.99. Ages 11 to 14.