Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 01/19/2026 Parallel plots set 80 years apart follow two 13-year-old girls as they navigate war and its aftermath in this stellar historical novel by Swinarski (Take It from the Top). Penny Marks resents her mother for taking a job at a "fancy art museum" in Paris, a decision that forces the family to leave their Wisconsin home to spend a year in France. When Penny and her mother learn that contractors have found a 1944 painting, along with a letter from someone named Marie Bonnet, hidden in an apartment wall, Penny’s bitterness turns to interest in the history of Paris and the mysterious correspondent. Meanwhile, a second narrative set in 1943 centers Marie, who fears imminent war living in Nazi-occupied France. With her mother long dead and her father sent to labor in Germany, she half-heartedly attends school while her older sister H?loise works as a cleaner at the Ritz. Upon discovering that H?loise is secretly aiding the Resistance, Marie pleads to help, too, as the city becomes increasingly dangerous. Educational, empathetic, and emotional prose expertly weaves together alternating story lines in a timely and resonant read that offers accessible insight into the impact of war and the importance of art and its ability to sustain people through dark times. The cast is described as white. Ages 8-12. Agent: Sarah Phair, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Feb.) - Copyright 2026

School Library Journal - 01/16/2026 Gr 5–7—Penny and Marie are two 13-year-old girls living in Paris decades and worlds apart in this dual-narrative tale. Penny and her family have just moved to present-day Paris for her mother's new job in an art museum. A typical teen, she is unimpressed by the City of Light and resents leaving friends behind. Marie, living in Nazi-occupied Paris with sister Heloise during World War II, mourns the loss of their parents and the peaceful life war has taken from them. Past and present meet when Penny stumbles upon a note Marie wrote in 1944 hinting at her involvement in the French Resistance. Intrigued, Penny sets out to learn more about the mysterious Marie. Determination—and the internet—help Penny find her and their lives come together in the novel's uplifting, emotionally satisfying conclusion celebrating art, hope, and the stories of everyday people who shaped history. The setting is visualized in detail (readers enjoy a street-level view of both WWII and 21st-century Paris), and chapters alternate between the parallel storylines. Swinarski uses mirroring language to close one chapter and open the next to ease transition between the narratives and reinforce the characters' emotional link across time. The cover art depicts Penny and Marie as white. VERDICT Engaging historical fiction with a contemporary spin and a dash of detective intrigue. Recommended.—Marybeth Kozikowski - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/01/2026 Swinarski (What Happened to Rachel Riley?, 2023) brings history into the present through the story of 13-year-old Penny, a hidden painting, and a curious handwritten note. Penny is struggling with her family’s recent move from Wisconsin to Paris, where her mom has been offered a year-long fellowship researching art history. While being uprooted is difficult for Penny, the biggest issue she wrestles with is her relationship with art, namely trying to understand how creating art and beauty still has value in a world beset with “big problems” like global warming, illness, and violence. Into this conundrum, Swinarski slides a second story line of two Parisian sisters who become involved in the French Resistance from 1943–44. To do this, she taps into the very real efforts of French citizens to hide works of art from the Nazis. When Penny’s mother is summoned to assess a portrait found inside a building’s wall, Penny becomes obsessed with unraveling the mystery surrounding the painting, making personal discoveries along the way that help her find a fresh perspective on her own circumstances. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.