Explore history with a touch of magic this October with Overdrive’s newest Big Library Read! Katherine Locke’s novel The Girl With the Red Balloon ebook will be available without holds to all Overdrive users October 1 through October 15.
Sixteen-year old Ellie grew up hearing stories from her grandfather about surviving the Holocaust, rescued by a mysterious girl with a red balloon. So when she spots a red balloon on a school trip to Berlin, she impulsively reaches for it—and finds herself transported back to 1988 East Berlin. She quickly falls in with members of an underground group determined to smuggle people over the Wall to safer West Berlin with the aid of balloons and magic. But it soon becomes clear that someone is using dark magic to change history. Ellie and her new found friends are faced with the prospect of changing history but at what cost? The Girl With the Red Balloon explores the recent past and the long-lasting effects of war through generations, mixing real history with personal history and a touch of magic. Read the book and join the discussion online at Wisconsin’s Digital Library!