THE SECRET OFFICE

A capable pair of siblings show initiative and perseverance as they help their mother and themselves.

Nine-year-old twins Henry and Allie love their apartment building, which feels like a “big hug,” but their afternoon activities there are now circumscribed. Their mother, Sam, needs quiet and privacy to work from their small quarters. The impressive duo, responsible for minor cookery and laundry, don’t complain; they look for solutions. They seek out headphones for Sam so they won’t hear the disembodied voices of her co-workers. When they discover a mysterious locked basement room, they resolve to turn it into an office for Sam. With determination, cleverness, hard work, and luck, they overcome financial and situational obstacles. Minor plot thickeners include their discovering that a Black woman architect designed the building, the superintendent’s reconnecting with an old friend, and Henry’s learning to discipline a neighbor’s exuberant poodle. The narrative is lively and well paced, with admirable characters and conflicts that are neatly but believably wrapped up. The family is deeply committed to safeguarding the environment: They walk rather than drive, and they make a point of avoiding aerosol cans, which can’t be recycled. The twins are big on sharing and caring; Allie reads a book on manners, and Henry makes clear that he’s “allergic to lying.” Realistically detailed, cartoon-style black-and-white drawings help set the scene. The twins present white; the cast is diverse.

A gently told, wholesome adventure in apartment living.