Nanny Tobbins and the Midnight Plan (Nanny Tobbins, #2)

By Lucie Stevens

HarperCollins 2026

Reviewed by Sandy Driessens

1851, LONDON. The Great Exhibition is coming to a close. It has been magnificent. Albertine, and her father, a designer commissioned by Prince Albert, are enjoying a last look at the beautiful garden when everything changes. A Royal Jewel, the Roshen-Tarin-Nor diamond has been stolen. Her dear friend and ally, Blot, is accused of the theft and thrown into the Tower of London. Unless he is exonerated, he will be deported to Australia. Despite his best efforts, Albertine’s papa cannot find the true thief. In her desperation, Albertine summons the ghost of her Nanny to help her uncover the plot behind the theft. But is Nanny Tobbins really helpful, after all she can only call her at midnight?  She has also become stranger and more forgetful. Perhaps, her little dog, Quiver and the unfriendly Prince Edward will be the accomplices she needs to save Blot from ‘Unspeakable Consequences’.

 In this sequel to ‘R.I.P. Nanny Tobbins’, Lucie Stevens has captured the voice and actions of Albertine von Waldblumen, with all the naivety, confusion, timidity and indignation of a nine-year-old girl. The chapters are apposite in length, with headings for each, helping a young reader to understand what is happening. Albertine’s anxiety over her friend’s predicament is palpable and the story progresses at a rate that increases her desperation. Nanny Tobbins is very Victorian in her attitudes, but you can sense a real affection for Albertine. With smatterings of German language and the backstory of the loss of her mother and then Nanny, this little girl is a fully described character. Trips to the palace to play with the Royal Children and descriptions of her home life complete the portrayal of her lifestyle.

This is a quirky, middle grade fantasy. The ghost is not a threat, but a comfort. Nanny Tobbins is only visible to Albertine and was perhaps created to deal with loss of loved ones and the introduction of new family members. Stevens has also used this story to illustrate the harshness, of the British ‘justice’ system and also the theft of culturally significant artifacts. Young readers will enjoy this fantasy for the glimpses it gives into a very different life.

For readers 8+