The Apothecary

by Maile Meloy

Age group: 10+
Rating: ****` (4.5 stars)
Type: Fantasy/historical fiction

It's 1952. Janie Scott used to live in Los Angeles, but when the government started following her home from school because her parents were communists, her family moved to London. Her school is strange, and she doesn't really like it in England until she meets Benjamin Burrows, an interesting boy who dreams of being a spy and whose father is the apothecary down the street. Under the cover of playing chess, they spy on a Russian, Mr. Shiskin, the father of Sergei, a boy at Janie's school. And one day, he leaves a message in a newspaper, which is then picked up by... Benjamin's father! The message reads:

Jin Lo has been taken. You'll be next. 

Janie and Benjamin discover a mysterious book called the Pharmacopoeia, filled with recipes for magical potions written in Greek and Latin. The elixirs are more incredible than ever--invisibility potions, transformation potions, potions to make you temporarily mute and potions to turn you into salt. But bad people, evil people who want the book for the wrong reasons are coming. Janie and Benjamin must protect the book, keep it away from Russian spies (who could be anyone) and stop a nuclear bomb from exploding. But they can't do it alone--enlisting the help of a snobby girl, a scruffy street boy, and many magic elixirs, Janie and Benjamin embark on an incredible adventure.

I remember a really long time ago my mom got this book out for me and I was not interested in it at all. Now, I have absolutely no idea why. What really makes this book interesting is the potions. They turn it from a regular historical fiction into a fantasy historical fiction, which really can make all the difference. It's a really great story as well. The Apothecary had a fast buildup. It got exciting quickly and stayed that way. Maile Meloy is a very talented writer. I recommend this book highly.