Return to Gone-Away

   Return to Gone-Away was written by Elizabeth Enright and was illustrated by Beth and Joe Kush. It was first published in 1961 and again in 1989. You can find this book at Barnes and Noble. It is the sequel to Gone-Away Lake.
     Portia Blake is back - and all her dreams have come true! Her family now officially owns the Villa Caprice, and now Portia is neighbors with her cousin Julian, and also with Uncle Pin and Aunt Minnehaha, the last of the residents on Gone-Away Lake.
     When the Blakes actually go in the Villa Caprice, they find it's more than they bargained for. Bead curtains, a Turkish Cozy Corner, even an attic full of treasures to explore. But when Portia and her friend Lucy find Mrs. Brace-Gideon's hidden safe, then everything gets turned upside-down!
    

Gone-Away Lake

     Gone-Away Lake was written by Elizabeth Enright and was illustrated by Beth and Joe Krush. It was first published in 1957 and again in 1985. You can find this book at Barnes and Noble. This book takes place during the 1950s.
     Eleven-year old Portia Blake always expects summer to be a special time, a time when she and her little brother Foster travel to the country to stay with their aunt and uncle. But nothing has prepared Portia and her cousin Julian for the surprise they find - a hidden swamp with dozens of old, broken-down houses lining the edge.
     "A ghost-town" Portia calls it. But she and her cousin find an even bigger surprise. Someone is living in one of those spooky-looking houses.
     Portia and Julian befriend Aunt Minnehaha and Uncle Pin, and claim one of the houses for a clubhouse. They have many adventures along Gone-Away Lake, the name of the swamp that was once a crystal blue lake. They get to know the old houses there. The one that is really special, though, is the largest, grandest house, the Villa Caprice - the one that might become the Blakes summer home.

A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt

     A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt was written by C. Coco De Young. It has no illustrator and was published in 1999. It takes place during the Great Depression.
     Everything is going well for Margo Bandini, an eleven-year-old girl living in in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She and her brother have always felt safe at home. But it's 1933, and the Great Depression is changing lives everywhere.
     In school, Margo is learning about Mrs. Roosevelt, the "Eleanor Everywhere" as she is called. The First Lady is Margo's inspiration, going around the country to help those effected by the Depression.  But then the impossible happens. The Sheriff Sale sign goes up on the Bandini's front door. They have two weeks to pay the bank, or they lose their house forever. Margo is scared, but she's also determined to help Papa save their home.

Stuart Little

     An all-time classic, Stuart Little was written by E.B. White and illustrated by Garth Williams, the same person who illustrated the Little House books. It was published in 1945. You will most definitely find this book at your local library.

     Into the spotlight comes Stuart Little, the mouse born to the Little family. Just a little over two inches, his size gets him into trouble now and then, but on the whole his life is a happy one. His big adventure starts at age seven when he searches for Margalo - the little bird who settled for a time in the Little's Boston fern.

Hero Over Here

            Hero Over Here was written by Kathleen V. Kudlinski and was illustrated by Bert Dodson. It was published in 1990. It is a story of World War I.
           Theodore’s father and brother are off fighting in the First World War and have left Theo to be the man of the house. He is proud of the responsibility – it’s his chance to be a hero. But when his mother and his sister become victims of the deadly flu virus of 1918, Theodore has to take care of them alone – and learns what it truly means to be a hero.

All-of-a-Kind Family

     Hey, readers! Sorry I wasn't keeping up with my books lately. Well, here I am with a new book, All-of-a-Kind Family!
     All-of-a-Kind Family was written by Sydney Taylor and illustrated by Helen John. It was published first in 1951, and again in 1979. It is a sweet book that is sure to have you living alongside the main characters.
     Meet Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie - five sisters who live with their parents at the turn of the century. Whether they are looking for buttons while dusting the front room or finding a friend in the Library Lady, their antics are sure to have you giggling.
     Charlie is Papa's right-hand man, but he always seems lonely. The five girls hear the reason one night - Charlie once had a sweetheart that his parents didn't approve. Charlie was so frustrated that he left home and found a job working with Papa. One night, Charlie and the Library Lady are at a party thrown by Mama. Charlie catches a glimpse of the Library Lady. "Kathy?" he asks. Is the Library Lady Charlie's sweetheart? If so, will Charlie and the Library Lady work things out with Charlie's parents? Find out in All-of-a-Kind-Family!