Trunk No. 3 by Allie Millington

What worked:

The first thing readers will appreciate is the author’s masterful ability to tell a story. They can feel the desperate emotions of Earl Grey and Cleo as they try to find their places in the world. Earl loves living with Oswald, but she longs to know who she belonged with Before Oswald. Cleo believes he is a failure, so he wants to run away. No one will miss him. The narrator explains, “And sometimes, you started breaking rules when you started breaking inside too.” An old, battered trunk is the center of attention, and it supplies footnotes with explanations from its point of view. It had to say something when Cleo commented that it smelled “… like bad breath that had been held in for too long.”

Oswald and his deceased wife used to mine for memories, and his Repertorium contains objects holding strong, emotional experiences. “It’s like the expression of walking a mile in another person’s shoes.” Guests can touch the items and experience moments that leave them feeling thrilled, curious, or surprised. Oswald’s never shown Earl how to mine, but she discovers that she gets visions and emotions just from touching other people. This ability will have readers wondering more about Earl and where she came from. How can her ability be explained?

It turns out, there’s more than one trunk. Cleo steals Trunk No. 3 from Earl, but he doesn’t realize how his theft will bring them together. Earl finds another trunk, Trunk No. 2, and the two characters discover the trunks are “magically” connected. Earl’s bunny climbs in her trunk, and the lid closes, and it immediately appears in Cleo’s trunk. This begins their “pen pal” correspondence, even though they’re unaware of each other’s identity. Readers will anticipate the moment they figure out their paths have already crossed. Also, readers may wonder if there’s a Trunk No. 1.

What didn’t work as well:

Earl seems to have a better handle on the whole situation than is believable. She’s struggling to learn about her past, but she somehow manages to offer Cleo sage advice about his situation. The eloquence of her messages to him seemed more mature than her character should have been.

The final verdict:

The book shares a tender, budding friendship between two characters who are trying to understand their places in the world. I recommend that middle-grade readers try it for themselves.