Two School Stories, One on Earth and One on Mars

Two newmiddle grade British imports, Sophia McDougall’s Mars EvacueesandRobin Stevens’ Murder is Bad Manners, offer middle grade readersclever young women, wry and witty authorial voices, hapeless teachers,excellent sidekicks, well-developed settings, and page-turningplots. Both are also just a lot of fun.

Mars Evacuees opens at the Muckling Abbott School for Girls where twelve year-old Alice Darelearns thatshe is one of a handful of kids being evacuated to Mars. This is most likely because o...