The promise - Nicola Davies

This tale is a sturdy one that is made even more emphatic by Davies's terse writing style.

The text is heightened in every way by Carlin's outstanding mixed-media artwork.

-- Booklist (starred review) On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman's bag.

But the frail old woman says the thief can't have it without giving something in return: the promise.

It is the beginning of a journey that will change the girl's life -- and a chance to change the world, for good.