This book follows the lives of three children living on their own in the Lower East Side of New York City when their father is drafted to fight the Nazis in Europe. The children must navigate school, work, and the mean temperament of their new landlord who has no idea the children are living alone. With the help of their neighborhood, and the second youngest, Dory's quick thinking, the children learn to survive and even thrive in the absence of their father.

This is such a New York story and Kate Albus did fantastic research on NYC during the war to bring this book to life. I loved the quiet, Boo Radley-like character and how he comes through for the children at a crucial moment. I also was entertained by the narrator's reminders about the diamond hiding in one of the hotel rooms. Nobody ends up discovering it, but it was much more satisfying watching the children work things out the way they did. Will definitely recommend this to patrons interested in WWII and patrons with parents overseas.

This was another heartwarming read by Kate Albus! Taking place in WWII-era NYC, this story follows three siblings who are left to fend for themselves while their father is fighting in the war. Dory and her two brothers, Fish and Pike, must do everything they can to stay together including finding a secret hideout. This book transports you to another time where the world was very unsure of what would happen next. It was such a sweet middle grade read and great for all ages!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴
By Kate Albus

From the author of 𝘈 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯, a story of three siblings desperate to stick together amid evacuation from London during WWII, comes 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴, a story of three siblings on the other side of the Atlantic during the same war.

Kate Albus' sophomore novel takes place in NYC, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and the setting is so vividly depicted it is nearly a scharacter in its own right. The children are on their own: their mother has passed away and their father is fighting overseas. Before leaving, Pop tells them "the neighborhood will give you what you need," and the many ways that this happens are sweet and unexpected.

Reading about this time and place from the perspective of a 12 year old girl named Dory, who waits for news on the home front in increasingly frightening circumstances, is both fascinating and heart-wrenching. Just as in 𝘈 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯, the siblings are very distinct and relatable. I love that the story was told from creative, problem-solving Dory's perspective, but also included a fourth-wall breaking authorial narration. Kate Albus' style is literary and funny, frank yet heartfelt, with moments of penetrating insight. In short, it makes me laugh and cry. Her books are enfolded in a love of history and reverence for the true, relatable relationships and humanity of lives lived in decades past. The setting in this book holds a special place in the author's own history, and that connection shines through.

Thank you @netgalley for the chance to read an ARC of this novel. 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘌𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘔𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 releases from Margaret Ferguson Books on September 5th. It is middle grade, but a wonderful read for all ages. Make sure you check it out!!

Kate Albus has done it again with Nothing Else But Miracles. The story of three siblings fending for themselves in New York City while their father is in Europe during WWII is sweet, engaging, and has just the right amount of mystery to keep you turning pages. The three siblings are shown as being mostly cooperative, but have just the right amount of sibling disagreements to make them seem more real.

My absolute favorite part of this book was the New York neighborhood. The book was so descriptive that I could easily see and smell the place. The city and neighbors were miracles in themselves.

I very highly recommend this book especially if you enjoy middle grade historical fiction.

5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Margaret Ferguson Books for the eARC of this book.

A heartfelt middle grade novel about the power of family and following your heart, even when your circumstances make it difficult to do so.

This is one of the best MG books I’ve ever read, and also one of the most engaging — and as someone who reads quite a lot in the genre, I don’t say that lightly. The narration was realistic for a middle grade age main character, and thus book overall highlighted a lesser-seen perspective of children whose parents were off fighting in the war or not there. This also makes it accessible to modern day readers while still being a thought-provoking historical fiction novel. The unseen, unknown narrator and small ‘mystery’ aspect of the book made me read it in one sitting, despite the fact that I’m older than the intended age for this book, as I couldn’t help wondering what would become of the [spoiler]! The setting is beautifully done and well-researched without needing the reader to have an in-depth level of historical knowledge, which is obviously great given the intended reading age. And lastly — this book has some incredible, heartfelt themes that left me a bit teary eyed, both with sadness and hope. Dory was relatable and definitely me at that age, but I think some aspects of her character would’ve resonated with everyone. Her bonds with her family, her desire for something more, something magical, and her anger at her brother and her father for the circumstances they find themselves in - all wonderfully done. This was not an explicit theme, but I think it plant the seed of ‘no one wins in war’ in readers’ minds, as we really see the devastation of not the war itself, but whom it leaves behind to continue life as normal. I loved Dory and Finn’s relationship — you can see that both are just trying to help their family stay afloat but love becomes complicated, with their extenuating circumstances. And that just… wrung me out, emotionally. Because how many times in our lives do we have conflicts with those we love because we don’t know how to tell them that we’re doing the best we can but it’s not enough?

This book is one I will be rereading again and again because, guys. It encompasses everything that draws me to this genre. Beautiful historical fiction that deals with themes that have relevance to all ages and demographics, all told by a wonderfully realistic and resonant main character. Don’t miss this one, folks.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

(This review was also posted on Goodreads, but NetGalley glitches out when I try to attach the link.)

This is a wonderful heart-warming story about grit and heart and family. The characters are believable and compelling. They are relatable. Also great, was the way the neighborhood helped care for the Byrnes kids as a sort of extended family. This book is a true treasure!

I've read so many books that I've become stingy with my 5 star ratings. I don't hand them out easily. Kate Albus's 2nd novel for kids is every bit as good as her first. She is now on my favorite authors list which means I will buy everything she writes.

It's approaching the summer of 1944. Doris (Dory) and her two brothers have just learned that their father has been drafted into the war. Since their mother is deceased, their father agrees to let their 17-year-old brother, Fish, step up to become the man of the house. Technically, it's illegal, so they must fool the landlord into thinking their father is still home. It doesn't take long before the landlord's onto them and reporting them to the authorities.

Fortunately, Dory paid attention when restaurant owner, Mr. Caputo, mentioned the dumbwaiter elevator that no one's used in decades. She hatches a plan to sneak into the restaurant after it's closed to investigate the abandoned upper floors of the building. What she finds is the solution to her siblings problems. A secret place to live until their father returns. Albus' descriptions of their Manhattan neighborhood excursions in those months following D-day read like something entirely new.

It's hard to capture the richness of Albus' characters in a way that does it justice. Her characters are simply captivating, just as they were in her first book. There's no big mystery, no puzzle, no disaster, no epic adventure, driving the plot. That's what makes it so impressive. It's just three siblings, navigating the ups and downs of everyday life in 1940s New York City. Instead of grandiosity, these kids are just trying to keep their life as close to normal as possible. Dozens of tiny, seemingly insignificant interactions, meld together into one great story. So much detail goes into describing Dory's night in the abandoned hotel that even that seems like a completely normal thing to do.

Best characters ever. Highly recommend.

The children in our family love historical fiction and this one hit the spot. A delightful story of children struggling to survive alone during WW11. The comraderie of the neighbourhood supported them until a crisis and then life became more difficult. Set in the USA was a bit different and the children loved that.

I needed to keep remembering that this book points towards miracles, as I felt like it took quite a bit of suspension of disbelief to see how the story of Dory and her brothers, whose mother is dead and whose father is off fighting in WWII, will have a very predictable happy ending. That being said, it is also so delightful to read a middle grade novel that shows neighbors helping each other, that in spite of hardships, ends with hope. Recommended for middle grade readers.

Nothing Else But Miracles is a beautiful novel set on the backdrop of the lower east side of NYC during WWII. The story centers around 3 siblings who are forced to navigate life after their father is deployed. This novel is so immersive and will make you feel as though you stepped into this community and know all of the locals. I loved all of the different business owners and characters in this story.

It did feel a bit slow-moving for me (hence the 4 stars), but I found this to be a very enjoyable and inspiring middle-grade read.

I received an advanced copy of this from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Kate Albus’ newest middle grade novel could be categorized as survival, historical fiction, family drama, or simply realistic fiction meaning that a wide variety of readers in grades 5-8 will find something to love about this one! Set just prior to D-Day, Dory’s family has already experienced loss when her mother died from influenza and now Dad has been recalled to active service, leaving 12 yr Dory and 7 yr old Pike in the care of older brother Fisher who is only 17. The three kids attend school and tend to their basic needs with friends in their apartment building as in the neighborhood well aware of the parent less situation and pitching in to help in various ways. When a new resident landlord reports the absent parent situation to child services, the intrepid Dory finds a place for the trio to live to lessen their contact with Mr. Cranky. Albus’ characters are unique yet blend together to make a cohesive group that will inspire sympathy and respect from readers as well as teach them a great deal about the trials of the wartime era and the culture of NYC during the 1940s. Excellent choice for libraries with no profanity, no violence and no sexual activity although there is some hand-holding and a few check kisses between Fish and his girlfriend as well a budding 6th grade romance for Dory and classmate Vincent.

It was a good read. It was simple yet reflective read. But feels repetitive time to time, some scenes just felt like drag, the story felt incomplete (the secret about the hotel didn’t get revealed, why they didn’t get any letter/telegram), it lacked depth, also the story was solely based of the main character’s lies which I quite didn’t liked. But even I felt these fault I can’t deny the fact that this story covered the lives of people during the world war very beautifully, their feelings, hardships, etc.

I would recommend it to read it once! I always feel that 3 stars reads are solely based on personal preferences.

This was such a sweet story set in NYC during World War Two. The main character was a charming spitfire. I very much enjoyed this perspective of the home front during the War. Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for the chance to read this!

Kate Albus is officially an auto buy author for me! With her debut novel A Place to Hang The Moon she shared a glimpse into British siblings lives during WW11 and with her latest Nothing Else But Miracles you get a tale of siblings in NYC during the same war.

I flew through this book! Not only does she write historical fiction exciting for kids but also all ages can appreciate and learn a thing or two! Writing a heartfelt story with humor… you get a glimpse into the struggles kids endured during the wartime, and a sense of community and place!

I’m excited for all readers to pick this one up this fall!

Thank you Margaret Ferguson Books for an advanced ecopy!

Another fantastic historical fiction by Albus. I loved the characters, they're well developed, and WWII New York City comes alive. I will definitely add this one to my elementary library!

Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and this story did not disappoint. You can't help but fall in love with this family. Their personalities really come through and the writing is true to the time period. I really enjoyed this book!

Start spreading the news...start reading today...you'll want to be a part of this, New York, NY! This beautifully written, immersive story is full of heart, sass, drama, and my favorite kind of kid shenanigans. Set during WWII, this is a different kind of history lesson, one that lets readers peek inside the lives of the families left on the U.S. home front, and how neighborhoods joined together to fill in the gaps of loved ones who were serving or lost during the war. Particularly charming was the way the narrator occasionally breaks the wall to speak directly to the reader. The sibling relationships were spot on with the push/pull of caring about each other and annoying each other at the same time. The setting and time period are so richly drawn -- I felt like I was watching a movie! The author's note lets us know that indeed a lot of the details in the story (e.g. Coney Island sights & sounds) are pulled from her family lore. Kids will clamor for this book and be rooting for Dory and her pluckish ways from page one. It would also pair extremely well with history lessons in the classroom.
An absolutely delightful middle grade read!

Nothing Else But Miracles was an incredible read! It depicts what life was like for the average child affected by the calamities of world war two. I loved the fire and heart that shone forth from Dori’s point of view. The attention to detail made the book even more enjoyable for us historical fiction fans.

I'm a huge fan of historical fiction. Kate Albus' NOTHING ELSE BUT MIRACLES did not disappoint! Set in 1945, in the Lower East Side of NYC, the reader really gets a sense of what life was like for the three main characters, siblings Dory, Fish, and Pike. With their mother dead and their father off to war, the siblings must work together to overcome several obstacles. Behind Dory's creative imagination and a close-knit neighborhood the siblings realize that they can persevere until their father returns from war. There did seem to be a few loose ends that I would have liked seeing wrapped up at the end of the story...but maybe a sequel would be the perfect place to do this! :) I can't wait to share this story with my fifth graders in the fall. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced digital copy.

This book truly epitomizes the community New York has to offer. Nothing Else But Miracles takes place during WWII and follows Dory, Pike, and Fish (children all named after the ocean) as they navigate the homefront while their father is off at war. As they run into trouble with their new landlord, they must use their own special skills to survive (and have fun of course). I especially loved how author Kate Albus uses the Statue of Liberty as Dory's friend/coping mechanism. This book is precious and wholesome while also providing a lot of great historical information about NY during WWII. I couldn't put the book down, and the ending definitely made me tear up a bit!

Thank you to NetGalley for the E-ARC! All opinions are my own.