The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden

The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden

By Karina Yan Glaser

Another run-of-the-mill summer has just started for Josie, Oliver, Hyacinth and Laney (a.k.a. the Vanderbeekers).  Their sister Isa is away at music camp, but otherwise things are pretty standard at their Harlem brownstone.

But when their beloved upstairs neighbour, Mr. Jeet, has a stroke, and his wife, Miss Josie, leaves to care for him at the hospital, the Vanderbeeker kids know they have to do something to help.  They embark on a project to turn an empty lot in their neighbourhood into a beautiful garden in honour of Miss Josie and Mr. Jeet.

Although the kids pour their heart and soul into the garden for weeks, they manage to keep it a secret from all the adults in their life.  After all, the empty lot does not belong to them and they’re not ready to reveal what they are doing with it.  When Mr. Huxley, a friend’s dad, tries to sell the land right out from under them, the Vanderbeekers are heartbroken.

Can they save the garden?  Can they motivate Mr. Jeet to get well again?

The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden is a feel-good book about a very positive and loving family.  Reading this book may just inspire you to embark on a project all your own!

The Last

The Last

 by Katherine Applegate



The Last is book #1 in the Endling Series by Katherine Applegate.  

It is the story of Byx, the baby of her pack, and a member of the nearly extinct dairne species. Dairnes are dog-like creatures that have magical abilities and are able to glide when they spread their arms and expand their wings.

Byx returns home to find that her family has been hunted and killed, leaving her to be possibly the only one left of her kind. She is the Endling. Byx sets out quickly to avoid being hunted herself and to find somewhere safe to stay. 

Along the way, Byx meets up with new creatures of human and animal form and, for reasons of their own, join Byx in her quest to safety and to find other dairnes. This motley crew begins their journey as strangers, but as time goes on they become a kind of family, looking out for each other. 

They discover a secret plot in their kingdom of Nedarra that threatens every creature in their world. Will they be able to take on those that plot against them and save their kingdom?

The characters are magical, the setting is mystical and the story is adventurous. It is an exciting read with a good message about society and the need to respect each other. I can't wait for the next installment in the series!

Illegal

Illegal

By Eoin Colfer and Andrew Donkin, illustrated by Giovanni Rigano

Ebo and his siblings know they must leave their home in Ghana to make a better life in Europe.  Sisi, his sister, has already gone.  When Kwame, his brother, disappears, Ebo follows.  He is determined not to be left behind.

When he meets up with Kwame they spent almost 2 years working to save money for the journey across the desert and the Mediterranean. They live in dire conditions and hide their money, saving for the day they can finally leave.  They two brothers must keep each other safe in a world full of dangers.  

After all their hard work, they are finally ready to travel, but their journey is horrendous.  They must contend with overcrowding, starvation, thirst, men with weapons, an unforgiving landscape and a massive, deadly sea.

How can two boys make this journey alone?  They are constantly motivated by the dream of a better life and the knowledge that they can never go back.

Illegal is not for the faint of heart -- it’s a graphic novel that brings the harsh world of a young refugee to life.  Ebo must endure more than most of us can imagine, and at a very young age. 

One Came Home

One Came Home

By Amy Timberlake

Thirteen-year-old Georgie Burkhardt’s older sister, Agatha, has disappeared.  To her family’s horror, a mostly unidentifiable body is found on the wagon road to another town and everyone assumes it's Agatha.  But even though the body is wearing Agatha’s blue-green dress and has the same auburn hair, Georgie does not believe it is her sister and sets off to find her.

She is joined by Agatha’s former boyfriend, Billy McCabe.  They travel from their home in Placid, Wisconsin along the same road Agatha followed, looking for clues.  Eventually, they are led to the home of the Garrow family, way up in the Wisconsin hills.  The Garrows may have seen Agatha, but they are not entirely reliable witnesses. 

Georgie and Billy soon discover much more than they bargained for.  They become fully embroiled in an adventure complete with criminals, counterfeit money and shootouts.  But the mystery of Agatha’s disappearance remains.  Is Agatha really still alive as Georgie thinks?  Will they ever get back to their day-to-day life?

Set in 1871 Wisconsin, One Came Home is historical fiction, mystery and western all rolled into one.  I couldn’t put it down!