July/August 2011
— A catalog of simple sensory pleasures builds to an unexpected direct address, transforming observation into intimate connection.
— A farm girl secretly nurses an injured wild foal back to health, then releases him to freedom when discovery threatens.
— The Crimson Cap, by Ellen Howard; Holiday House Books for Young People: New York, 2009; $16.95 Growing up is something we all do at one time or another. I just...
— A fourth-grader dreads wearing her new glasses to school but discovers both clear vision and unexpected acceptance from classmates when forced to put them on.
— A girl invites her pen pal Isabella to her family's beach cottage for a weekend, but tension arises when her best friend calls, leading to a dangerous midnight rescue during...
— A kind cow helps a rhino and a bird in the forest, and when a tiger threatens her, they return the favor by rescuing her together.
— After a week of camping, a girl appreciates indoor comforts — shower, pillows, warmth — until she realizes she misses the stars that were her companions outdoors.
— A girl's beloved hunting dog Fern is fatally injured and crawls away to die among the sweet ferns, where a mysterious pink flower later blooms.
— Darkwood, by M.E. Breen; Bloomsbury Children’s Books: New York, 2009; $16.99 “What happened next was so strange that Annie could not be sure afterward what was real and what she...
— A brother and sister have a water gun fight on a hot day while their parents are out, ending when the sister gets too cold and the brother makes her...