(Part of this was first written for my Materials for Tweens class.)
Although Meggy Swann’s alchemist father sends for her to live with him in London, she soon realizes that her father doesn’t want her after all. Meggy is left to find her own place in London and make her own fortune with the help of her new friends who look past her walking sticks to discover who Meggy really is.
Cushman tackles disabilities in the Elizabethan era with a sensitivity that leaves the reader hopeful despite the harsh circumstances of Meggy’s life. The book includes a bibliography and author’s notes on printing, disabilities, and language in the Middle Ages (refers to the eBook).
I also read The Ballad of Lucy Whipple for my class and taught Cushman’s Newbery winner, A Midwife’s Apprentice, a couple times with my book club students, and she hasn’t let me down yet :).
This post is my Blogging from A to Z entry for the letter A.
nita's books 
Thanks for highlighting this book. I’m always looking for something new and there aren’t nearly enough books with alchemy as a theme.
Hi!
I’ve been through your 2014 A to Z theme posts, as part of the A to Z Road Trip, and I think they’re great! Thanks for sharing so many great authors and their work.
Heather M. Gardner