Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite

You don't have to be prepared for an adventure to find yourself in the middle of one. In Nina Watcher: Queen for a Day by Kateryna Dronova, Nina is fourteen and has always been fascinated by the past. While exploring an antique shop with her friends, she comes across an old pocket watch that doesn't seem to work properly. The proprietor gives it to her and tells her to set the hands to twelve. She isn't sure what to make of his strange behavior, but her curiosity gets the better of her. The next morning, she wakes up in a luxurious bedroom at Versailles, and everyone is calling her Your Majesty! Even more surprising, when she looks in the mirror, Marie Antoinette is staring back at her. Nina soon learns that she's been chosen to protect history and must locate four hidden tokens before midnight. Unfortunately, someone dangerous is searching for them, too. Will she find what she needs in time to return home?

The cover first drew me to Nina Watcher: Queen for a Day by Kateryna Dronova. The two girls on the cover looked so different that I wanted to know how they could be the same person. Once I started reading, I was impressed by how descriptive Dronova's writing was. Versailles, and especially the scenes inside the bedchamber, were easy to picture, and the pacing kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. Nina was a dynamic character. I enjoyed getting to know the others along the way, and I’m sure kids will decide which of them is their favorite. The historical setting combined with the fantasy elements made this story interesting. Being an educator, I could see this being a great choice for a book club with fourth through sixth graders. Students could talk about what they would do in Nina's situation and compare life today with what it was like in eighteenth-century France. I also thought the illustration of the pocket watch at the beginning, by Olena Koshliatskya, was a nice touch. It made me even more eager to learn about its importance to the story. I could easily see this adventure turning into a whole series or even a movie someday. Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Those words describe Nina quite well. Even when she was scared, she didn't let that stop her. Children who enjoy history mixed with a little magic and mystery will want to read this book. It’s an enchanting tale that belongs in homes, schools, and libraries everywhere.