Angel Could Smell the Fire

Margaret Bunel Edwards is the author of Little Stitch, The Ocean
Between, and The ABCs of Writing for Children.

After the death of his mother, Angel persuades his father to let him use
supplies from his hardware store to build a tree house. So begins his
adventures with Corinna, a homeless woman who lives in a nearby cave and
waters the tree daily. One day Angel sees through his telescope a man
abusing a woman in a house on the other side of the ravine; a small
child is escaping through the window. Angel and Corinna befriend the
girl, Robin, and persuade her mother to leave the abusive situation.
Trouble ensues when the father confronts Angel, Robin, and Corinna at
the tree house, but the story concludes on a positive note.

In addition to strong characterization and a fast-moving plot, the
author provides an effective contrast between Angel’s secure world and
that of the abused and homeless. Junior readers may find the scenes of
domestic violence too graphic for comfort. Recommended.