The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear, Illustrated by Chris Turnham

4 stars A sweet story about a little boy and his toboggan who set out on a journey to find the elusive wish tree. Along the way they encounter some new animal friends and help them with their own tasks. This is such an adorable story about kindness and helping others. Loved the simple magic…

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Audacity Jones Steals the Show (Audacity Jones #2) by Kirby Larson

4 stars Another fantastic adventure with Audacity Jones. Complete with mystery, new acquaintances, stage magic, and of course some charismatic (and possibly magical in their own right) animal companions. This is the second book in the Audacity Jones series. While it picks up where the last one left off, there is enough explanation given that…

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The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

5 stars I’ll start out by saying I won an uncorrected proof of this book. The first few pages were in full color, the next few in grayscale, and the rest in black and white. However, I found myself completely engrossed in the story and characters that by the end I kind of forgot that…

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Snapdragon by Kat Leyh

5 stars What an amazing, unique, unexpected, splendid book. This was jaw-droppingly good and I did not want to put it down. I’ll admit, as an animal-lover I was a little squeamish when first introduced to the roadkill witch. But Leyh does such an amazing job of creating characters that you will gladly welcome into…

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Dewdrop by Kay O’Neill

5 stars Another enchanting tale from Kay O’Neill. I’ve loved everything I’ve read from them so I had to check out this children’s graphic novel. Wasn’t sure what to expect, but I enjoyed every page. While the story is much simpler than her other tales, it’s perfect for young readers to read alone or with…

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Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones

4 stars A remarkable tale of an orphaned girl who winds up in the care of two rather strange individuals. Diana Wynne Jones’ writing is wonderful. She creates such amazing worlds, which I love visiting. This book is home to a cast of odd characters from the reluctant familiar, Thomas, to the easy-to-anger mandrake, and…

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