Grab a cup of cocoa... a quilt... and curl up for
moments of 
explorations...
Grades 2-3:
Kate DiCamillo
ISBN: 9781536223316
Publisher's Synopsis:
At the Hotel Balzaar, Marta’s mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform, and instructs Marta to roam as she will but quietly, invisibly—like a little mouse. While her mother cleans rooms, Marta slips down the back staircase to the grand lobby to chat with the bellman, study the painting of an angel’s wing over the fireplace, and watch a cat chase a mouse around the face of the grandfather clock, all the while dreaming of the return of her soldier father, who has gone missing. One day, a mysterious countess with a parrot check-in, promising a story—in fact, seven stories in all, each to be told in its proper order. As the stories unfold, Marta begins to wonder: could the secret to her father’s disappearance lie in the countess’s tales? Book two in a trio of novellas bound by place and mood—with elegant line art by Júlia Sardà—The Hotel Balzaar masterfully juggles yearning and belief, shining light into every dark corner."... my little ray of light."
MrsK's Review:
Meet Marta, a young girl who lives in an attic room of the Hotel Balzaar. Her father has gone missing in the war and her mother is working at the famous Balzaar hotel, in which Marta cannot be in the lobby or talking to the staff. Not only is Marta very lonely, but she is also longing for her father to come and worried that he might not know where they have moved. There isn't much to do at a hotel, quietly looking at a painting or watching an extraordinary clock does pass the time when the days seem long.
On a cloudy and gray day, an old woman enters the lobby. Meet the Countess who uses a cane, can demand the hotel to provide their best room, and has a parrot named Blitzkoff. Can you imagine a parrot on your shoulder? The countess sees Marta hiding behind a lobby plant and invites her to come to room 314. What might the countess teach Marta? Will she let her talk with her parrot? Marta has been told never to be seen or talk with anyone at the hotel, and yet, the countess has invited Marta to stop by her room.
As the tale unfolds, Marta discovers that the countess has seven stories to share with Marta. Stories that are intriguing, stories that must be told in order, stories that Marta will think about until the next day.
Within the weaving of these seven Norendy tales, many wonders become enchanting. Layers of imagination... fascinating intrigue... and possible truths unfolding,
MrsK
Meet the Author:
Kate DiCamillo, the newly named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014–2015, says about stories, “When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” Born in Philadelphia, the author lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week.Kate DiCamillo's own journey is something of a dream come true. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie - her first published novel, which, remarkably, became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. "After the Newbery committee called me, I spent the whole day walking into walls," she says. "I was stunned. And very, very happy."
Grades 3-5:
ISBN: 9781536230888
Publisher's Synopsis:
Since Grandpa died, Dally’s days are dull and restricted. She’s eleven and a half years old, and her exacting single mother is already grooming her to take over the family business. Starved for adventure and release, Dally rescues a mysterious envelope from her mother’s clutches, an envelope Grandpa had earmarked for her. The map she finds inside leads straight to an ancient vault, a library of secrets where each book is a portal to a precise moment in time. As Dally “checks out” adventure after adventure—including an exhilarating outing with pirates—she begins to dive deep into her family’s hidden history. Soon she’s visiting every day to escape the demands of the present. But the library has secrets of its own, intentions that would shape her life as surely as her mother’s meticulous plans. What will Dally choose? Equal parts mystery and adventure—with a biracial child puzzling out her identity alongside the legacy of the past—this masterful middle-grade fantasy rivets with crackling prose, playful plot twists, and timeless themes. A satisfying choice for fans of Kindred and When You Reach Me."My dearest Dally-bird... I know your eager heart... the map
is for you and you alone... it is our final shared secret..."
MrsK's Review:
Meet Dally, a young girl who is determined to discover her Grandpa's secrets. Her family's heritage business is currently managed by her mother. Her mother is determined that Dally will be the next CEO, which means that Dally hasn't experienced any grand adventures since her Grandpa's death. It was her grandpa who recognized Dally's loneliness, as well as encouraged her spirited imagination with daily outings beyond her schooling and business classes. What does Dally need now that her days are regimented? With a mysterious envelope, a map that leads to a secret library, Dally's future will be forever changed.
Through the halls of Peteharrington, Dally bravely picks the lock and enters her Grandpa's study. To Dally these were "extenuating circumstances," in which she needed to locate the letter that Grandpa wanted her to have when she turned twenty-one. Being eleven and a half was only a minor challenge. Granpa knew all the stumbling blocks that Dally experienced, as well as how she didn't fit into this world, he would have been her much needed adventure guide... if he were still alive.
Grandpa's map would lead her the "X marks the spot," the TSL! Dally knew the days of dullness and predictability were over. Patience wasn't a virtue she had, yet, with Grandpa's map a new adventure was about to begin.
"Everyone who finds the library...
is meant to be here."
Meet Jennacake, she is the librarian of secrets. She will be the guardian who will help Dally navigate the books of secrets. The books will provide travels to the moment that a secret was revealed, shared, or occurred. Once someone enters the pages... the adventures begins. Reader's must be mindful of the white fog for it will be a boundary within the journey. Only one secret can be read per visit, and the reading must be within one of the many reading rooms.
Dally's adventures began with little secrets that had something to do with her daily life, school, and the current past of her mother and father. But... then a chosen secret would mean she had to dress for a time in the past. 1850 is a vastly different life, especially if you've just arrived aboard a two-masted ship!
Meet Jack, he has been aboard the ship with Captain Eli and the first mate Pete since their last sail. Pirate life isn't necessarily what Dally had previously read about. There is so much more to being on a ship in the 1800's in comparison to when she was in the sailboat with Grandpa. There would be life-threatening storms, treasure under the sea, maps to be coded, the possibility of a hang-man's noose, and of course resilience to continue reading the various books of secrets.
With many twists and turns in the plot, this story is woven with adventurous threads of past lives, self-discoveries, and life changers. Characters are decisively crafted. Social acceptance is intricately woven into surprising realizations. Don't expect an ending in which a reader might "foresee" a prediction...
MrsK
Meet the Author:
Kekla Magoon writes novels and nonfiction books for children and teens, often on themes of identity, community, empowerment and social justice. Acclaimed titles include The Season of Styx Malone, The Rock and the River, How It Went Down, and Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People.Kekla received the 2021 Margaret A. Edwards Award, a body of work recognition for her significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. She is also a recipient of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, a Michael L. Printz Honor, four Coretta Scott King Honors, two Walter Award Honors, and an NAACP Image Award, in addition to being a finalist for the National Book Award.
Grades 4+:
ISBN: 9780593315712
Publisher's Synopsis:
Reporter Vera Vixen is a relative newcomer to Shady Hollow. The fox has a nose for news, so when she catches wind that the death might be a murder, she resolves to get to the bottom of the case, no matter where it leads. As she stirs up still waters, the fox exposes more than one mystery and discovers that additional lives are in jeopardy.Vera finds more to this town than she ever suspected. It seems someone in the Hollow will do anything to keep her from solving the murder, and soon it will take all of Vera's cunning and quickness to crack the case.
"Shady Hollow is a tale of woodland creatures... welcome...
Up in the far north, lies a small village..."
MrsK's Review:
Meet Otto (as a reader I find him to be much more than an average toad), to be sure he is cranky and cantankerous. He lives in a mud hut at the pond. Why might you wonder is a toad important... well he is the mystery.
Of course, within the village, you will become a type of visitor at all of the quaint businesses. You'll meet the owner of the Von Beaverpelt Sawmill and some of its workers (beavers, muskrats, woodchucks, mice, rabbits, sparrows, and minks). You'll stop at Joe's Mug where you can get your morning cup of Joe and learn a thing or two. There's always news being discussed around town thanks to the Shady Hollow Herald. At the Goody Crow's Restful Home for the Aged Creatures, you will meet Ruby who just isn't getting enough sleep. If you are a reader, like most of us, your first destination should be Nevermore Books where Lenore will deliver the perfect read for anyone seeking a new journey. For a tasty vegetarian dish, stop by the Bamboo Patch, Panda Sun Li will be thrilled to meet you.
On a late August morning, Gladys Honeysuckle was flying to work at the Herald. Unfortunately, this morning would prove to be the worst of her flights. There he was, floating in the middle of the mill pond. When she arrives at the Herald, Vera Vixen is already at work. Vera did not expect to start her day with the task of quieting a "weeping and hysterical hummingbird!" Once Vera visits the pond to verity the scene, she heads to the station to report what Gladys saw (or rather snoop to scoop her byline). Chief Meade is not at work and Deputy Orville Braun will investigate with Vera close behind.
I will not spill the beans; this is a mystery with more than one murder, suspects galore, and the most delightful "red-herrings" to intrigue every arm-chair detective, enjoy for there are more mysteries to unravel in this series,
MrsK
Meet the Authors:
Juneau Black is the pen name of authors Jocelyn Cole and Sharon Nagel. They share a love of excellent bookshops, fine cheeses, and a good murder (in fictional form only). Though they are two separate people, if you ask either of them a question about their childhood, you are likely to get the same answer. This is a little unnerving for any number of reasons. Sharon lives in Wisconsin 🧀, where she works as a librarian. Jocelyn lives in the city-state of Philadelphia 🥨, where she also writes romance as Elizabeth Cole.Seasoned Readers YA:
ISBN: 9780316481014
Publisher's Synopsis:
Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.
MrsK's Review:
Avery inherited a vast estate, including the heirs known as the Hawthorne brothers. At first her required quest for a surprise inheritance lead into her own game of wits, twists and turns, reliance's and conspirators. Now she has created the second annual competition in which seven will arrive at a secluded Hawthorne Island for the grandest game of their life.
What is known is that the winner will win fame and fortune. What is needed is strength, endurance, talents for "brain-bending" puzzles, and the courage to remain centered during extreme conditions. This year's players have been invited. They have an experienced connection with either Avery or the Hawthorne brothers in one way or another. They will all be expected to win or leave the game!
Are you ready for the grandest game? Have you been following Avery, her inheritance and her Hawthorne co-inheritors? Have you the desire to invest in a game that requires more than courage? Are you a reader who enjoys unraveling puzzling plots?
There are not enough ways for a book reviewer to express the enjoyment of a book worth experiencing. What I can express is that Jennifer Lynn Barnes has not disappointed her readers with this series. She has crafted five characters in which any reader will "hunger" for more adventures. The woven threads of plot twists, puzzling quests, and magnificent settings are tantalizing bits of exquisite word play.
Enjoy this masterly crafted journey, pages will be turned swiftly, and characters will become "booked" friends forever...
MrsK
Meet the Author:
Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has been, in turn, a competitive cheerleader, a volleyball player, a dancer, a debutante, a primate cognition researcher, a teen model, a comic book geek, and a lemur aficionado. She's been writing for as long as she can remember, finished her first full book (which she now refers to as a "practice book" and which none of you will ever see) when she was still in high school, and then wrote Golden the summer after her freshman year in college, when she was nineteen. Jen graduated high school in 2002, and from Yale University with a degree in cognitive science (the study of the brain and thought) in May of 2006.
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