The Winged Girl of Knossos

See my full review at The Emerald City Book Review. Ever since Betsy Bird put this long-lost Newbery honor book from 1934 at the top of her list of underrated middle grade books I've been dying to read it. And lo and behold, sometimes dreams do come true! Three years later, it's back in print thanks to the fantastic folks at Paul Dry Books, with an afterword by Betsy herself.

Set in ancient Crete, The Winged Girl of Knossos starts out with a thrilling scene in which our heroine, Inas, goes deep sea diving for sponges – just for the fun of it, not because she needs the work – and the action doesn't let up from there. She also takes a dramatic turn in the bull ring, helps out her friend Princess Ariadne who has inexplicably fallen for one of the boorish Greek captives, and comes to the rescue of her father Daedalus who is causing a stir with his outlandish inventions (including hang-glider-style wings that permit humans to soar with the birds). Danger abounds, but so do moments of beauty, artistry, and lyricism.

Overall, this is a rediscovery that no fan of children's historical fiction, adventure stories for young readers, or Newbery-award books should miss.