A Circle in Time

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

When Wren Ferris, 12, accompanies her father to the “Studio,” a
Trenton, Ontario, building once connected to the community’s
silent-movie industry and now slated for demolition, she “sees” a
man in one of the dressing-room mirrors. Intrigued, Wren persuades her
father to purchase the mirror, which she instals in her bedroom. She
later discovers that the “mirror” man was Donald Donaldson, a
British director who left Trenton in disgrace. In the mirror, Wren
frequently sees a girl whom, after some local sleuthing, she identifies
as Donaldson’s daughter Dorothy. One day, Wren suddenly finds herself
transported back to the year 1927, where she becomes a chum to the
lonely Dorothy.

Time-slip fantasy fans will be confused by the purposes for Wren’s
repeated visits to the past. Initially, they seem to be in support of
the friendless Dorothy, but then Wren becomes involved in the movie
being shot and Dorothy is shunted aside as Wren tries to encounter her
own grandparents, who were movie extras in the 1920s. Nonetheless,
Leavey ties up the plot’s various loose ends and even supplies a
surprise twist that brings meaning to the title. Upper-elementary-grade
girls, especially those willing to suspend disbelief, will enjoy this
warm book. Recommended.