The Winter of the Dollhouse

Gr 4-7–Schlitz’s latest skillfully weaves two narratives; one has fantasy elements, including talking dolls and animals, and the other is a realistic coming-of-age tale. Tiphany Stokes (Tiph), 11, befriends an elderly neighbor, Szilvia, who is in need of help one evening. Drawn together by their shared love of dolls and dollhouses, their friendship changes both of their lives for the better. Szilvia gives Tiph the gift of being seen and understood, and she also teaches Tiph how to understand an adult’s perspective. With Szilvia’s encouragement, Tiph grows in her ability to communicate with her parents, join school activities, and make new friends. Schlitz’s characters are nuanced with rich and relatable emotions. Hungarian American history and culture is also shared through Szilvia’s family story. The ending, which brings the dolls’ and humans’ stories together, is delightful. Main characters are cued white.