Plain Kate takes place in that historically vague horse-and-cart time period of many kid’s books. Kate’s father is a master carver and taught her so well that there are rumors she is a witch. The towns are having a difficult time surviving and witches are blamed for that hardship. Orphaned early in the story, Kate meets a mysterious stranger, Linay, who wants to make a trade - her one true desire for her shadow. Forced to agree, Kate finds herself on the run with a band of nomads and a talking cat. And then the story begins to darken.

Kate must deal with the loneliness of being an orphan, the jeopardy of being without a shadow, and the looming dread that she might be burned as witch (even though she isn’t one). Linay inspires a confusing mix of sympathy and fear in Kate (and in the reader) even when his true intentions turn out to be more evil that anyone imagined.

A happy resolution keeps this book from being too dark. The sophisticated writing and interesting dilemmas make it rise above many other kid’s books I’ve read. It is difficult to pinpoint an age group for this story, but I think it’s one of those perfect “tween” reads that we are often looking for. It’s ideal for 11 to 14, but we don’t have a section for that. ~Lillian