Amy Sparkes

1. First book in a three-part series, followed by The Tower at the End of Time & The Bookshop at the Back of Beyond
2. Contains fantastical creatures, including a housekeeping troll, a sword-waving spoon, and a hopscotching wizard
3. Author interviews: https://www.timeoutmuscat.com/kids/books-2/463159-interview-meet-childrens-autho... and href="https://www.wordsandpics.org/2020/08/interview-amy-sparkes.html" rel="nofollow" target="_top">https://www.wordsandpics.org/2020/08/interview-amy-sparkes.html
4. Discussion guides: https://www.walker.co.uk/UserFiles/file/The%20House%20at%20the%20Edge%20of%20Mag... and https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/the-house-at-the-edge-of-magic-discussion-...
5. Found family trope
6. Nine's dynamic character - How is Nine's character different at the end of the book compared to the beginning?
7. This book can be described as a children's/middle-aged version of The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune… (altro)

A Special Christmas Gift!

This sweet tale is based on a true story, and a popular British tv series about a repair shop.

During WWII, Sue was a child and was sent (evacuated) to the country the way many children were to keep them safe from bombing. It was hard for the little girl to leave home and live with strangers, but her foster family was kind and gave her a beautiful doll for Christmas.

The doll was Sue’s constant companion, even when she was able to return home. Over the years, the doll was shared with other generations. All that love has left the doll needing repairs. That is when Sue and her great-granddaughter Evie, take the doll to the repair shop to be restored. Afterward, Sue has a surprise for Evie.

This over-sized picture book illustrates the story nicely. The back of the book contains the true story that was the inspiration for this account. This five-star tale deals with history and war—which was told in a prudent way--but would be best suited for seven-to nine-year-olds, or older. It is a good way to introduce a child to the subject of WWII.

Thank you, Candlewick Press, for providing Tickmenot with a book to review. Opinions are my own.… (altro)