Margery Sharp was a writer who successfully challenged the line that so often divides children's books from adults'. She had been writing for adults for more than thirty years before her first book for children, The Rescuers, was published in 1959. It was reviewed for both adults and young readers and was followed by eight more volumes, which together became known as the Miss Bianca series. The heroine of these fantasies is the elegant white mouse Miss Bianca, who leads her cohorts in the Mouse Prisoners' Aid Society to daring rescues around the world. The books were popular in both children's and general collections of public libraries and can still be enjoyed by readers of all ages who relish their scenes of high adventure, witty characterization, and social commentary.

Margery Sharp was born on 25 January 1905 in Malta, the third daughter of J. H. Sharp. In a brief article published...