Names mean everything in this world, but Rump was only given half a name at birth. On top of that, he can turn straw into gold -- which isn't the great talent he hoped it would be. A fun retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin tale.
Sarah
Magic realism for the middle grade set. The story is touching, the writing smooth and lyrical. Fans of Tuck Everlasting should pick up this book.
Rebecca
Lionel trains and time travel, what could be better? Set during the crash of 1929, this adventurous tale is part historical fiction and part fantasy. The beautiful illustrations of Bagram Ibatouline grace this period piece. See the trains at Lionel’s site.
Robin
Twelve-year-old Miss Moses Lobeau, and her friend Dale, are self appointed detectives in the small town of Tupelo, NC. Lost your cat, they'll find it. Now there has been a murder, and people are disappearing. Can they help? Meanwhile Mo is trying to solve her own personal mystery. This is a fast moving, and fun read.
Robin
When Georges meets Safer, the dog-walking, coffee-drinking, parrot-watching kid in his new apartment building, the two become fast friends. Georges helps spy on the mysterious man upstairs. Safer teaches Georges to make the perfect pan of scrambled eggs. But the Spy Club is not without its secrets, and the boys will be forced to confront them eventually. Touching, funny, and fiercely believable, Stead’s new novel won’t disappoint.
Kim
In this fictionalized telling of a shocking historical event in 1911, there are several predicable paths this novel could go. It follows none of them. It is sophisticated in its storytelling, and beautiful in its description of coastal Maine.
Robin
