This is where we’ll talk about books we loved.
What are your favorite books of all time? What are mine? Do you like to laugh, be scared, learn something new?
Is there an author whose books you watch for? Is there a topic you can’t get enough of? Write me an email about your best books ever.
THE OGRESS AND THE ORPHANS
by Kelly Barnhill
If you haven’t read Kelly Barnhill yet, it’s time to have fun with her kids books!
The Ogress and the Orphans is about a lovely town filled with thoughtful people and a rich, well-stocked library. Well, it used to be lovely, and villagers used to care about each other, but it suffered. The library burned down. The trees died. And everyone is afraid of their neighbors. No matter how helpful the mayor seems to be things only get worse, especially for the orphans.
Then, an ogress builds a home and plants a garden on the edge of town. Even though she experienced hard times before moving, she remains kind and thoughtful. All she hopes for is a fresh start, a chance to be part of a community. Quietly, she builds and hopes one day to make friends in the village. Her soft heart leads her to feed the crows who visit her farm, and they are her first well-wishers.
As the ogress tends her garden and her animals, as she bakes and cooks, she’s happy. She loves her home and the town, even though she knows very little about it. But while she thrives, the village and the orphans are miserable.
When an orphan goes missing the villagers blame the ogress and explode with anger. The ogress wants to help and can’t understand their attacks. The town wants to be happy again and thinks saving the orphan will help. The orphans know the truth about the ogress and in order to keep her safe they have to discover the secrets kept by the mayor.
This book is about the joy of a community that cares for each other. It’s also about the things that can disrupt this joy: greed, dishonesty, and self-service. It is a world of orphans, ogresses and possibly dragons that sheds light on our own lives.
Ina Orme 
One of my new bests is THE SWALLOWTAIL LEGACY: Wreck at Ada’s Reef. by Michael D. Bell.
First of all, I think the cover is amazing. The ocean fills almost half of it and I love the ocean. There are islands, and boats, and birds and bikes. Lightening and huge waves look like trouble. Second, the author dedicates the book to his brother. I have three cool brothers plus a fun sister, and I’d like to dedicate a book to them. Third, before the story starts there’s a map! I love maps, don’t you? They take me places, around the world and beyond. This one takes us to Swallowtail Island and it wants us to explore.
Before I read a word, I liked this book. Then I started. It’s perfect! An unusual family moving to a one-of-a-kind island with an unsolved mystery. Lark and her sister inherit a home on Swallowtail when their mom dies. They’re spending the summer there with their stepdad and stepbrothers while they adjust to the changes in their family. Lark is curious and when she’s offered a job that could help her unravel a secret from the past she accepts. Who can she trust? How can she discover the whole truth? Lark uses the freedom of summer and her knack for asking questions to search. But some people don’t want the mystery solved and they’ll do anything to stop her. This is an exciting story with unexpected twists along the way. Absolutely a fun read.
Ina Orme