a joyful, boisterous, poignant book with a completely satisfying ending

a joyful, boisterous, poignant book with a completely satisfying ending

Age guide: 2 to 12 years. 
Mr. Nick has a passion—he loves knitting. He knits every morning on the train ride to work, and his friend Mrs. Jolley does too. When sickness strikes Mrs. Jolley, Mr. Nick puts his passion to work to serve and lift and love Mrs. Jolley. 

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a life that reminds us how beautiful the world is and how valuable we all are

a life that reminds us how beautiful the world is and how valuable we all are

ages 4 years to grownups
A charming and incredibly pretty book about a woman who commits as a child to go to faraway places, live beside the sea and do something to make the world more beautiful. It's loved and used a lot by teachers, with good reason. It does a lot of work! 

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PRINCESS BEATRICE AND THE ROTTEN ROBBER :: a little kid doing what has to be done

PRINCESS BEATRICE AND THE ROTTEN ROBBER :: a little kid doing what has to be done

Age guide: baby to 8 year old
Princess Beatrice understands her privileges – she’s the daughter of a King and Queen who love their daughter and give her free range of all the castle jewels – and there are many!

But one day, when a rotten robber charges into the castle and spots Beatrice decked out from head to foot in extravagant jewels, it all goes wrong. Being an opportunist, the robber grabs Beatrice and steals the jewels, Princess and all.

However, Beatrice has her head screwed on right and resourcefully tricks the robber into tying himself up in the jewels and Beatrice is free. She loads the robber up on his own horse and hauls him home to her now distraught parents.

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The Terrible Wild Grey Hairy Thing: an amusing warning about being too easily alarmed

The Terrible Wild Grey Hairy Thing: an amusing warning about being too easily alarmed

ages 2 to 8 years
This is a rollicking book—so much fun to read and so much fun to look at. The story is an adapted Danish folktale and the fabulous illustrations reflect that. It’s the story of Goodie, a plump and obviously happy woman, who is making sausages to store up for her family—she makes hundreds of them and has to hang them from every nook and cranny. Inevitably, funny happens!

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Mile High Apple Pie: a child's love and a tender look at Alzheimer's

Mile High Apple Pie: a child's love and a tender look at Alzheimer's

I don’t normally like books that overtly teach. I prefer the teaching part to settle gently in the recesses of small minds ready for them to catch and adapt as life throws circumstances to them that don’t quite match the books they’ve read. Mile-High Apple Pie is an exception - there's the obvious, plus much more. 

ages 4 to 12 years

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The Empty Stocking: naughty and nice definitely can go together!

The Empty Stocking: naughty and nice definitely can go together!

Sam and Charlie are twins; one is 'naughty' and the other is 'nice'. Which is cause for some considerable consternation in the family. It turns out to be a problem for Santa too!

ages 2 to 12 years - a really fun book for Christmas!
 

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The Christmas Rose: finding a just-right Christmas book can be a struggle

The Christmas Rose: finding a just-right Christmas book can be a struggle

The illustrations here are fabulous; hazy and colourful at the same time, evocative and cheery. The story is lovely, about giving what you can and giving the best you have. A gentle nudge to smile a little more and appreciate the good things of life.

ages 2 to pre-teen and grownup

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