Kitty's Enemy: Or, The Boy Next Door.
1912
A ten-year-old girl's Easter holiday becomes a battlefield of pride and prejudice in this early 20th century gem. When the mysterious Tim Shuttleworth moves in next door, Kitty Glanville decides she dislikes him on sight, and he seems to return the sentiment with equal fervor. But what begins as childish mutual suspicion curdles into something more dangerous: after Tim's garden is allegedly destroyed by Kitty's dog Snip, he swears vengeance. Stooke captures something achingly true about childhood anger, those small grievances that feel like world-ending catastrophes, and the terrifying courage required to admit wrong. The book refuses to sentimentalize its young protagonists, they are proud, petty, quick to judge, and entirely human. This is a story about how easily children misunderstand each other, and how much harder it is to see someone clearly than to hate them. The resolution feels earned because the journey there is rocky, uncertain, and genuinely difficult. Readers who cherish E. Nesbit's anarchic energy or Burnett's emotional depth will find much to love here: a small book about very big feelings.
