Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy

I liked this novel. It was full of adventure, and had a strong female protagonist. I recommend it for the kid who likes a good retelling of a fairytale (Snow Queen), or a good portal story (the portal here being an entire museum). It is full of action and contains a story within a story. Some of the devices are a bit repetitive and heavy-handed (the boy lacks a name and the main character runs through male names in alphabetical order) AND we keep track of the exact amount of time since the mother died. Other than that, it's a good story full of absent parents and adventure.