To conjure up the charming Mr. Brungle, a coven of witches stirs up the Great Brungle Brew. For this, they toss in a lounge of lizards, a mischief of mice, and a quiver of cobras, among many others. Do they succeed? The book is a hilarious twist on collective nouns.
Julia was a happy girl, until one day everything went away, leaving her a big “vacío.” Her “vacío” was huge; cold came through it, and monsters emerged from it. She tried to fill it with food, social media and medicine, but nothing helped. In a moment of extreme frustration and tiredness, Julia collapsed and cried without comfort until falling asleep. Suddenly, a voice coming from the ground told her to look through her “vacío.” When she did, she saw and felt colors, melodies and magic worlds that gave her a sense of connection to herself, to others and to nature. She began approaching people differently and noticed that they also had their own “vacíos” and wonderful worlds. Julia’s “vacío” started to shrink, but rather than disappearing, it remained as a window into Julia’s magical worlds; a reminder of the importance of feeling connected to the world.
Featured in WOW Review Volume X, Issue 4.
In a fairy tale twist, Hansel and Gretel ransack Willow the good witch’s gingerbread cottage and play havoc with her spells, driving the poor witch to her wit’s end.
When their dog goes missing, Cy and Poppy play hide-and-seek in the woods to distract themselves from feeling sad. Poppy counts to ten and looks for Cy, but she can’t find him anywhere. She keeps thinking she’s found him, but it’s never him. Then there’s a rustling in the woods. Is it Cy. . .or something else? A reassuring tale of sibling love with surrealist artwork by author-illustrator Anthony Browne.
What happens when someone you love is diagnosed with cancer? In this inspiring story written by a breast cancer survivor, The Little Green Monster helps Marie and her family survive and thrive through her mother’s treatment. The book includes cancer and feelings vocabulary, as well as family cancer resources and activities. The book explores the questions like: what can you expect while the loved one goes through treatment? While science does its work, what can love and everyday magic do to help?
As a blizzard approaches, two strangers emerge from the fog enveloping the forest. From the windows of their houses, the neighbors wonder: Who is outside? What do they want? Desperate for shelter, the strangers turn to the locals, hopeful someone will take them in. “The wind is cold. In exchange for some tea, could we warm ourselves by your fire?” Will anyone help?
Featured in WOW Review Volume X, Issue 4.
On a stormy night two hundred years ago, a young woman sat in a dark house and dreamed of her life as a writer. She longed to follow the path her own mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, had started down, but young Mary Shelley had yet to be inspired. As the night wore on, Mary grew more anxious. The next day was the deadline that her friend, the poet Lord Byron, had set for writing the best ghost story. After much talk of science and the secrets of life, Mary had gone to bed exhausted and frustrated that nothing she could think of was scary enough. But as she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of a man that was not a man. He was a monster. This fascinating story gives readers insight into the tale behind one of the world’s most celebrated novels and the creation of an indelible figure that is recognizable to readers of all ages.
When a classmate hurts his feelings by calling him a fairy, Brandon turns to his imagination and his two best friends, who rally to his side. Brandon informs his pals that he is now a zombie who will destroy his enemies with his tears. They respond by turning into a ghost and a vampire, ready to protect him from the mean words being thrown at him during recess.
Encourages the reader to manipulate the book to take care of a little dragon that has hatched inside–and to try to put out a fire after the dragon sneezes.
When a young girl visits the site of Africville, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the stories she’s heard from her family come to mind. She imagines what the community was once like the brightly painted houses nestled into the hillside, the field where boys played football, the pond where all the kids went rafting, the bountiful fishing, the huge bonfires. Coming out of her reverie, she visits the present-day park and the sundial where her great-grandmother’s name is carved in stone, and celebrates a summer day at the annual Africville Reunion/Festival.