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Alone

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Alone by Megan E. Freeman
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids, Teens

After waking up in a town evacuated while she slept, Maddie has to learn to survive on her own. At only twelve years old, she weathers harsh climate, natural disasters, illness, looters, and wild animals. Remembering her dad’s advice to “stay put” during a crisis, Maddie scavenges nearby houses for food and supplies, soon also finding the neighbor’s Rottweiler, George, who becomes her constant companion. With only George and the books she’s able to pilfer from her local library to keep her company, brave and determined Maddie perseveres in the hopes that one day her parents will come back for her. In simple but powerful verse, she often heartbreakingly remembers her life “before,” worries about her loved ones, and wonders when – and if – she will ever see them again.

Alone is a middle-grade novel in verse and Megan E. Freeman’s debut. At 400 pages, it manages to be incredibly fast-paced and keeps its momentum until the last page. Reminiscent of Hatchet, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and the I Survived series, Alone is a story about the internal struggle of isolation, but also, survival, courage, family, and hope.

Find Alone in the catalog here!

Margaret’s Unicorn

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Margaret’s Unicorn by Briony May Smith
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Margaret’s life completely changes after her family moves to a cottage by the sea, but not in all the ways she might have expected. A little lonely and missing the familiarity of her old home, she goes out to explore. She soon discovers a baby unicorn tangled up in weeds, accidentally left behind by its herd. They become inseparable fast friends, crunching through the leaves of fall together, stargazing, chasing waves at the beach, and making a snow unicorn with an icicle as its horn. As the seasons change Margaret misses her old home less and less, but every day spent together brings them closer to the day she knows her unicorn will return to his family in the spring. Despite having to say goodbye, they will never forget each other.

Margaret’s Unicorn is gorgeously illustrated, with warm and inviting tones depicting a wild countryside reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands. As you read Margaret’s story, you can almost feel the wind flying over the rolling green hills littered with thistles and purple heather, a gloomy sea in the distance. Every page is magically and thoughtfully crafted. Kids ages 4-8 will be spellbound.

Find Margaret’s Unicorn in the catalog here!

Backyard Fairies

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Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

A young girl goes searching for fairies in the woods in her backyard. She sees evidence of them everywhere, but they always seem to manage to stay just out of her sight. Luckily for readers, magical creatures are on every page of Wahl’s multi-textured, whimsical illustrations, bringing the forest and magic to life.

Backyard Fairies by Phoebe Wahl is the perfect short and sweet bedtime read-aloud for children ages 3-7 (and – spoiler alert! – it even ends with our heroine’s bedtime). Little ones will love searching each page for fairies and sprites hidden in plain sight.

Find Backyard Fairies in the catalog here!

Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx

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Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx by Joe Todd Stanton
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx by Joe Todd Stanton is a story about a daughter who travels to Egypt to rescue her world-famous adventurer father after his disappearance while searching for the Book of Thoth. In her journey Marcy faces her fears and finds her courage, solves puzzles, and even meets Egyptian gods.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful and imaginative. It’s a great quick read for anyone who has a special interest in Ancient Egyptian mythology, and it is particularly geared for children ages 5-7.

Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx is the second installment in the Brownstone’s Mythical Collection. The first in the series, Arthur and the Golden Rope, is about Marcy’s father going on his own mythical adventure when he was still a child.

Find Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx in the catalog!

Find Arthur and the Golden Rope in the catalog!