Cosimo Unfortunate steals a star by Laura Noakes

This is book one of a series starring disabled 12-year-old Cosima (Cos), who has spent her whole life at the Home for Unfortunate Girls. The residents of the Home are all disabled girls who are deemed unfit to be seen in polite London society in 1899. The most unfortunate thing about the Home is that it is run by a callous, money-hungry brother and sister (the Stains) who treat the girls appallingly. 

Cos overhears a wealthy explorer negotiating with Miss Stain to adopt (or, more accurately, buy) all of the 'unfortunates'. They don't know why Lord Fitzroy wants a group of disabled children - he is powerful but seems dangerous. So the girls spring into action, concocting an audacious plan to steal a priceless diamond to buy their own freedom before Lord Fitzroy comes for them. But for girls who have never been allowed out and about on their own, this is a bold and almost unthinkable undertaking with many steps and pitfalls to plan for. 

Through all of this runs a thread on discovering clues leading to Cosima's identity. She is desperate to find her family but needs to prioritise and balance the welfare and goals of the group against her own personal desires. Cos has mixed success with this and the group dynamic is sometimes affected due to her missteps. 

There are two stand-out aspects of this story. The first is that the girls all have their own special talents as well as their own individual limitations. They work brilliantly together in encouraging and supporting each other - coping and balancing out each others strengths and weaknesses. The teamwork, relationships, empathy and genuine respect for their differences is a wonderful example for readers. 

The second stand-out is the representation of disability as a matter of fact part of each character, not their whole 'personality'. The range of disabilities covers physical (eg one is a wheelchair user, Cos has a joint disorder often meaning she is tired or in pain and must walk with a cane) and psychological (eg panic attacks, anxiety) and the point is made that the severity of a disability can vary from day to day. This is particularly validating for young readers who might need extra assistance some days but seem completely fine other days. 

Cartoony black and white illustrations add to the story throughout. The only downside of this book, to me, was the editing. There are several errors which pulled me out of the story, having to flick back to check that I hadn't misread the first time. It's possible a younger reader won't notice this. 

Themes: Disability, Adventure, Inventions, Mystery, Relationships.

Kylie Grant