Little Hearts: Finding Hearts in Nature
by Charles Ghigna (Goodreads Author), Jacqueline East (Illustrator)
The animals wander through the country, looking for things in nature that look like a heart. Flower petals look like little hearts. Strawberries, the inside of an apple, a spider web, or a bird’s wings can look like a heart. Some clouds look like a heart shape. Each one is a treasure that the friends discover together.
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Leo va a la peluquería (Spanish Edition)
by Britta Teckentrup (Goodreads Author) (Illustrator)
Leo el León necesita un nuevo peinado para su melena. Después de un lavado con champú, el mono ayuda a Leo a experimentar con diferentes peinados. ¿Debe Leo llevar el pelo en trenzas o con rizos? ¿Quizás podría teñir su melena de rubio o de rojo? Podría complementar con una tiara o un lazo de bebé. Pero finalmente deciden que la melena de león de Leo es el estilo mejor.
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Tales of a Seventh-Grade Lizard Boy
by Jonathan Hill
Tommy has a secret. His family are actually lizard people trying to blend in with the human world. Tommy has to wear a human skin over his green lizard face. It’s difficult trying to be “normal” in middle school when everything is so different from your own lizard culture.
Tommy meets other seventh-graders who also have trouble fitting in. One of his new friends, Dung, is a Vietnamese boy who is dealing with culture shock and trying to learn English. They bond over their differences, discovering that they have more in common than they realized.
I loved this graphic novel! The plot is hilarious and emotional. The characters are complex. Their stories are meaningful. The setting and background are interesting. And the storytelling style is superb!
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The Enchanted Wood (The Faraway Tree, #1)
by Enid Blyton
Three siblings discover that the wood behind their cottage is magical, and at the center of the forest is the Faraway Tree. It is the largest tree in the world; so large that the top reaches the clouds, and at the very top the Faraway Tree connects to a magical land. But the magical connection changes every week, so that you never know which land will be at the top of the tree. It might be the Land of Birthdays where everyone gets a free birthday party. Or it might be the land of evil goblins. It might be a land that rolls and jumps with constant earthquakes. Whatever land there is, the three children and their fairy friends are sure to have a wild adventure!
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The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles
by Julie Andrews Edwards
Three siblings meet a strange old professor who tells them about the mysterious Whangdoodle, a creature thought to be mythological. The professor assures the children that the Whangdoodle is real, and he can be found ruling over other fantastic creatures in a mystic land in another dimension. If only they can crack the science of imagination, they will be able to cross over into Whangdoodle land. However, there is a guardian of the Whangdoodle, the Prock, who will do everything possible to stop the children and Professor from reaching the Whangdoodle.
I loved this imaginative story! It’s so wild and weird. There are all kinds of strange creatures that the children meet. They have some wild adventures and fall into traps set by the Prock and his friends. But nothing can harm them if they rely on their common sense and courage.
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The Railway Children
by E. Nesbit
Three siblings embark on a new adventure when they move to a country cottage near the railway. They quickly make friends with the railway employees, and memorize the train schedule. They run to the train track to wave hello to each train that passes, and the commuters begin to watch for them waving their little handkerchiefs every morning. But the railway is also a dangerous place to play. The children must learn the safety rules and signals. However, sometimes they find that they will need to break the rules to save the trains from certain disaster.
I love the old-fashioned charm of this book! It’s such a beautiful story and all the characters are so sweet. Of course, they have days when they are grumpy and they make mistakes too, but they always make it right in the end. I love the way the siblings bicker and fight sometimes, but they also really support and care for each other.
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The Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden, Garth Williams (Illustrator)
Chester the Cricket gets lost in New York City and is adopted by a little boy named Mario who works at his father’s newspaper stand in the subway. Chester befriends a mouse and a peaceful cat, who enjoy listening to his beautiful cricket music. The animals are not the only ones who notice Chester’s talent for music. Soon the humans are also enchanted with Chester’s cheerful chirps.
This is such a beautiful classic children’s story. It has a soft charm. I love the old-fashioned style of the writing and the delightful illustrations by Garth Williams.
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Bedknobs and Broomsticks
by Mary Norton
Carey, Charles, and Paul are visiting their aunt for the summer when they meet the neighbor, Miss Price. Miss Price is secretly a witch, and the children see her riding on her broomstick in the night. When she crashes her broomstick, the children help her and in return Miss Price gives them an enchanted bedknob that will magically take them anywhere they wish. The children get into some troublesome adventures and discover that magic is not as simple as it appears.
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Edward Waverley goes on a vacation to Scotland, staying with an old friend of his uncle’s. He meets a Highland Chief and is invited to spend a couple of weeks hunting in the highlands. Waverley is inspired by the noble demeanor of the highland clans, and his romantic side gets the better of him. He becomes embroiled in the Jacobite Rebellion, and he falls in love with the Chief’s pretty sister. At first, his adventures seem glamorous and exciting, but he quickly learns that he must deal with reality and give up his childish daydreams of glory.
A beautiful, intriguing tale of valor, love, honor, loyalty, with absurd funny bits and sorrow intermingled. This is my favorite book of Sir Walter Scott’s!
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Two-Headed Chicken
by Tom Angleberger (Goodreads Author)
A brother and sister two-headed chicken duo travel through parallel universes, and in each universe they are chased by a hungry moose villain who wants to eat fried chicken.
This is an extremely silly graphic novel. I’m not sure I enjoy quite this level of silliness. I was rolling my eyes and shaking my head in confusion for most of the book. But I think that children who enjoy wild and weird stories will like this one! It’s too chaotic for me, but it is definitely imaginative.
I didn’t particularly like the art style. It’s jumbled and haphazard, like the story. I prefer both art and story to have more structure and polish. But for people who like weird art, this is cute! It is certainly colorful.
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