Heidi
by Carole Aufranc (Illustrator),Johanna Spyri
This picture book tells the basic story of Johanna Spyri’s Heidi in just a few pages. I love how the story is condensed to only a few sentences on each page, but the spirit of the story is intact.
Heidi loves living with her Grandfather on the mountain, but her aunt takes her away to live in the city and be the companion to a rich invalid girl, Clara. Heidi loves Clara, but she misses her mountain home.
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The Music of Dolphins
by Karen Hesse
Mila is a wild girl, growing up on a deserted island with a family of dolphins. When she is rescued, she is placed with a doctor who studies the way that humans learn language. The doctor hopes to learn the girl’s dolphin language, and uses music to capture the sounds dolphins make. Mila begins to connect with her caregivers and their families; even the janitor cannot help connecting with this unique girl. At first, Mila is interested to learn English and learn how humans interact and live. But soon, she begins to miss her dolphin family and the simplicity of her life on the island. Her spirit starts to despair and turn inward, searching for the music she used to know.
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Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas (Jane Austen Mysteries #12)
by Stephanie Barron
Jane, Cassandra, and their mother, Mrs. Austen, are visiting their old country parsonage where Jane’s brother, James, is now residing. They visit the Chute family at their estate for the Christmas festivities, but a military messenger is found dead, thrown from his horse. Jane thinks it must be murder, and one of the other guests, an artist, agrees with her.
The best part of this story is learning about the Regency Christmas traditions, games, food, parties, and other family habits at Christmastime!
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The League of Seven (The League of Seven, #1)
by Alan Gratz (Goodreads Author), Brett Helquist (Illustrator)
Archie’s parents are part of the Septemberist Society, a secret organization that has kept evil monsters locked away for centuries. When the Swarm Queen begins to awaken out of her prison, Archie’s parents are kidnapped and brainwashed to release the monster. Archie and his robot servant have to unravel the secrets of the ancient civilizations that imprisoned all the monsters in the first place. Along the way, Archie befriends two other children who are also searching for answers… and revenge.
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The Maze in the Heart of the Castle
by Dorothy Gilman
When his parents die unexpectedly, Colin goes searching for answers. He hears of a mysterious wise man who guards the entrance to a maze. Colin enters the maze, accepting the challenge to find a new country where his questions will be answered and his grief assuaged. Along an arduous journey, he meets people who have given up in despair, those who have turned to evil, and those who are willing to help him and guide him through the maze. But ultimately, Colin must answer his own heart and find the inner strength to endure.
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Robert Dudley, the Earl of Lancashire, has a secret marriage with Amy Robsart. He is keeping it hidden from Queen Elizabeth I, hoping to win favor at court and perhaps a crown of his own. His lies are supported by his evil servant, Varney, who schemes on his behalf. Together they keep Amy locked up at Cumnor Place, hiding her from the world. The noble Tressilian discovers their plots and tries to assist Amy, but she loves her husband and won’t move against him. At court, Walter Raleigh gains the favor of the Queen, and famously lays down his cloak over the mud for her. Tressilian tries to present a case against the Earl of Lancashire at court, but his plans are foiled by the scheming Varney.
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Griffin’s Castle
by Jenny Nimmo
Dinah and her mother move into a dilapidated old house, where Dinah discovers a small griffin statue. She names the house the Griffin’s Castle, and hopes that they will be able to stay forever. But her mother is not exactly reliable, and the landlord can’t stand children. Dinah notices animal statues in the city, wishing that they could protect her new home. The misty spirit of a lioness statue follows Dinah home, and Dinah can see and feel the lioness even though no one else can. Soon, more of the animals statues begin to follow Dinah home, and they become so real that others can feel their presence. Dinah’s friends at school are worried about her. Are the animals really protecting the house, or are they imprisoning Dinah within the crumbling walls?
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Jane and the Canterbury Tale (Jane Austen Mysteries, #11)
by Stephanie Barron
Jane is visiting her brother Edward at his large estate. Their acquaintance Adelaide Fisk is getting married again, but her previous husband shows up on her wedding day… dead. He was thought to have died abroad years ago, but his murdered body is discovered adjacent to Edward’s property. As the magistrate, Edward must investigate – with Jane to help, of course!
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Basil in Mexico (Basil of Baker Street, #4)
by Eve Titus, Paul Galdone (Illustrator)
Basil is the Sherlock Holmes of the mouse world. He listens in on the cases of the great Sherlock Holmes at 221B Baker Street, to learn at the feet of the master. Then Basil can use that knowledge to solve mysteries among the mice of the world. In this book, Basil and his trusty sidekick Dawson are on their way to Mexico to investigate the theft of a famous painting.
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The Red Thread
by Roderick Townley
Dana has disturbing dreams about a boy being murdered centuries in the past. Her psychologist hypnotizes her to help access memories from her previous life, and discover the origin of the nightmares. Dana begins to realize that people from her past lives are still nearby, involved in her modern-day life. Her father and mother, her little brother, her boyfriend, and even her rival at school might all be reincarnations of people she knew in her past lives… and one of them is a murderer.
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