Wench
Wench. Dolen Perins-Valdez. 2010. HarperCollins. 293 pages.

Six slaves sat in a triangle, three women, three men, the men half nestled in the sticky heat of thighs, straining their heads away from the pain of the tightly woven ropes. The six chatted softly among themselves, about the Ohio weather, about how they didn’t mind it because they all felt they were better suited to this climate. They were guarded in their speech, as if the long stretch between them and the resort property were just a Juba dance away.

Wench is a historical novel set (primarily) in the 1850s, at a summer resort in Ohio. A resort where slaveowners were able to ‘vacation’ openly with their slave wenches. (Slaves were still expected to work, to make themselves useful to anyone and everyone.) Wench portrays the struggles of four slave women–their complicated relationships with their masters, mistresses, and even each other. Lizzie, our heroine, has a complex relationship with her master, Drayle, for unlike the other slave women she feels she actually loves him. The relationship is complex–readers see much of this through flashbacks. They learn how the relationship began–and how it has continued through the years resulting in the birth of a son and daughter. Drayle’s only children. Lizzie prays for freedom for her two children. Her one desire is to have her children be freed by their father. But so far, her requests have been refused.

Reenie, Sweet, and Mawu are the other three slave women readers meet in Wench. Each has a heartbreaking story. We see these characters through their relationship with Lizzie. We learn their stories through Lizzie. Because of these friendships, Lizzie’s life will be changed.

Wench is a compelling novel. Once I started reading, it was difficult to put down. It was easy for me to care about these characters. It was intense and emotional in many ways–because their lives were bittersweet at best. I would definitely recommend this one!

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f6741068a6ysalon1.png1 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36
Happy Sunday! It’s September! It’s time for Carl’s RIP challenge–his fifth, my fourth–and that always excites me! In my first year participating, I read some great books and discovered some new authors. 664d67b0b9ipv1501.jpg1 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36Like H.G. Wells ( The Island of Dr. Moreau, Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon, The Food of the Gods,) and Ray Bradbury (Something Wicked This Way Comes, The Martian Chronicles)! And Thirteenth Tale and Dracula! In my second year, I loved The Mysteries of Udolpho and Jane Eyre. In my third year, I read one of the most wonderfully incredible novels I’ve ever read: The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness. If you haven’t read his Chaos Walking trilogy, now would be a great chance to pick it up!

I’m hoping to read a blend of young adult and adult titles this year. Including some classics. I’d love to read some Wilkie Collins. And perhaps another Ann Radcliffe.

The other fall challenge, I’ve always participated in is Callapidder Days’ Fall into Reading, which doesn’t begin until September 22nd. But. It’s never too early to start writing your list!

What I’ve Reviewed This Week:

Wildflowers of Terezin. Robert Elmer. 2010. Abingdon Press. 352 pages.
Jane Slayre. Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 396 pages.
Wench. Dolen Perins-Valdez. 2010. HarperCollins. 293 pages.
Jane Eyre The Graphic Novel: Original Text. Charlotte Bronte. 2009. Classical Comics. 144 pages.
The Adventures of Nanny Piggins. R.A. Spratt. Illustrated by Dan Santat. Little Brown. 239 pages.
The Viper’s Nest. (The 39 Clues #7). Peter Lerangis. 2010. Scholastic. 190 pages.
Frankenstein The Graphic Novel: Original Text. Mary Shelley. 2008. Script Adaptation by Jason Cobley, American English Adaptation: Joe Sutcliff Sanders. Illustrations by Declan Shalvey, Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson, etc. Classical Comics. 144 pages.
Have You Ever Tickled A Tiger? Betsy E. Snyder. 2009. Random House. 14 pages.
Pig-a-Boo! A Farmyard Peekaboo Book. Dorothea DePrisco. Illustrated by Treesha Runnells.
In the Wild. David Elliott. Illustrated by Holly Meade. 2010. Candlewick Press. 32 pages.

Coming Soon:

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36
Wench. Dolen Perins-Valdez. 2010. HarperCollins. 293 pages.

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36
The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester. Barbara O’Connor. 2010. August 2010. FSG. 176 pages.

Currently Reading:

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. 1868. 544 pages.

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36
Revelations. Melissa de la Cruz. 2008. Hyperion. 272 pages.

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36
Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink. 2009. Little Brown. 352 pages.

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36
Faithful. Janet Fox. 2010. Penguin. 336 pages.

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #36
More Than Words by Judith Miller. 2010. Bethany House. 368 pages.

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 Library Loot: First Trip in September
New Loot:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Magic Thief: Lost by Sarah Prineas
How To Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor
Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia by Barbara O’Connor
The Accidental Adventures of India McAlister by Charlotte Agell
Scumble by Ingrid Law
The Moonstone, The Haunted Hotel, My Lady’s Money by Wilkie Collins
Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill
Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve
Butterfingers by J.M. Trewellard
Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail

Leftover Loot:

The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer
The Spanish Bride by Georgette Heyer
Pistols for Two by Georgette Heyer
The Masqueraders by Georgette Heyer
Romancing Miss Bronte by Juliet Gael
Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion by Alan Goldsher
Lady Vernon and Her Daughter by Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway
Dearest Cousin Jane by Jill Pitkeathley

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

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 Jane Slayre
Jane Slayre. Charlotte Bronte and Sherri Browning Erwin. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 396 pages.

There was no possibility of continuing my walk that night. We had been wandering, indeed, in the leafless shrubbery an hour after dark, but since Mrs. Reed had picked up a scent (Mrs. Reed, when there was no company, hunted early), I was sent home so the others could stalk their prey. I was glad of it. I never liked long walks, especially on chilly evenings. Dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw midnight, with nipped fingers and toes, and a heart saddened by the death of the poor thing they’d dined on, raw, right in the middle of the wood. Not that I frequently watched as they took their meal. I avoided accompanying them on the hunt as often as I could.

Jane Slayre has every reason to dislike her home with the Reeds. For one, they’re vampyres. And while Mrs. Reed, Georgiana, and Eliza don’t thirst for her blood–too common–’Master’ John Reed does. It is his attack which prompts her trip to the red room. She’s not sent there to recuperate, to heal. No, she’s sent there as punishment for tempting John to bite her and drink her blood. While there she encounters her uncle’s ghost who tells her she must fulfill her family’s legacy–to slay the monsters of the world. That is how her parents were killed–in the line of duty. Jane does “escape” Gateshead Hall when she is enrolled in Lowood. But Lowood has dangers of its own. There is a reason–a good reason–the children aren’t allowed meat. (She becomes suspicious when some of the children don’t eat anything! She also notices that they’re a bit too obedient!) But Lowood does introduced her to two of the people she’ll come to love best. Her classmate Helen. Her teacher Miss Temple. (Miss Temple definitely has great influence on the young Jane Slayre. For it is from this beloved teacher that she receives her first training.) Jane remains six years as a student at Lowood–after the first year, things are less monstrous and more routine–and two years as a teacher. But then Jane Slayre seeks employment as a governess. She meets Mrs. Fairfax, Adele, Grace Poole, and, of course, Mr. Edward Rochester. And her life will never be the same.

Jane Slayre is a paranormal retelling of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. I don’t always love like paranormal fiction. Vampires, zombies, and werewolves don’t typically thrill me. But. I really enjoyed Jane Slayre. I thought it was clever. I thought it worked well. It’s not that I think the original needed improving. But the changes seem more natural than I ever would have thought possible. I liked Sherri Browning Erwin’s Jane. She was strong and fearless. (She saw her slaying as a gift.) Yet she was tender too. She fell in love with a man with a past. And she had a few tough decisions to make. I definitely recommend this one!

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 The Adventures of Nanny Piggins (MG)
The Adventures of Nanny Piggins. R.A. Spratt. Illustrated by Dan Santat. Little Brown. 239 pages.

Mr. Green desperately needed to find a new nanny for his children. In the four weeks since their last nanny left, he found himself actually having to talk to them, provide them with meals, and pay attention to them himself. And all this just had to stop. He had a job at a law firm helping rich people avoid paying their taxes. He could not be expected to look after his children as well.

Nanny Piggins wasn’t always a nanny. She’s formerly of the circus. She was the flying pig act. She’s used to being shot out of a cannon. So even though she doesn’t have any training in looking after children, she figures she can handle these three kids without much trouble. Derrick. Samantha. Michael.

Can a pig make for a good nanny? You be the judge. This children’s fantasy is very silly, very over-the-top. I found it an enjoyable read. Believable? Not for a second. The character development just isn’t there. But is it good for a few laughs? Yes! Nanny is a fun-loving, chocolate-loving, pie-baking wonder. Each chapter leads to a new adventure. And the adventures seem to get more extreme as the novel progresses!

If you enjoyed Lois Lowry’s The Willoughbys, then you’ll probably enjoy this one.

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These are a few of my favorite ‘first’ lines read in August 2010.

Once upon a time, fairy tales were awesome.

Everyone thinks children are sweet as Necco Wafters, but I’ve lived long enough to know the truth: kids are rotten. The only difference between grown-ups and kids is that grown-ups go to jail for murder. Kids get away with it.

Come to think of it, the day my brother tried to eat his first-grade teacher turned out to be the same day that my dad brought me home a very, very strange cat.

I don’t want to die, I thought. Not again.

The big question: Is Origami Yoda real? Well, of course, he’s real. I mean, he’s a real finger puppet made out of a real piece of paper. But I mean: Is he REAL? Does he really know things? Can he see the future? Does he use the force?

Emma Woodhouse–handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition–had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress her. Until the vampire attacks began.

August’s Top Five:

A Tale Dark and Grimm. Adam Gidwitz.
The Convenient Marriage. By Georgette Heyer. (1934) Read by Richard Armitage. (2010)
To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee.
Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer L. Holm.
Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Salley Mavor

Number of Board Books: 6

Baby’s Book Tower. By Leslie Patricelli. 2010. August 2010. Candlewick. 96 pages.
Count My Kisses, Little One. Ruthie May. Illustrated by Tamsin Ainslie. 2010. August 2010. Scholastic. 24 pages.
Five Little Ducks. Beth Harwood. Illustrated by Emma Dodd. 2008. Amazing Baby. 10 pages.
Time for Bed. Mem Fox. Illustrated by Jane Dyer. 1993/2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 28 pages.
Amazing Baby: Clap and Sing. Emma Dodd. 2007. Silver Dolphin. 12 pages.
Princess Baby On the Go. Karen Katz. 2010. August 2010. Random House. 14 pages.

Number of Picture Books: 10

Dog Loves Books. Louise Yates. 2010. July 2010. Random House. 32 pages.
Too Pickley! By Jean Reidy. Illustrated by Genevieve Leloup. 2010. July 2010. Bloomsbury. 32 pages.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late. Mo Willems. 2006. Hyperion. 40 pages.
Piggy Pie Po. Audrey & Don Wood. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 32 pages.
The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Alphabet Book. Robert Crowther. 1999/2010. August 2010. Candlewick. 12 pages.
The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Numbers Book. Robert Crowther. 2010. August 2010. (1999) Candlewick. 12 pages.
Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep! Mo Willems. 2010. HarperCollins. 32 pages.
One Smart Cookie: Bite Size Lessons for the School Years and Beyond. By Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Illustrated by Jane Dyer & Brooke Dyer. 2010. HarperCollins. 40 pages.
Chicken Big. Keith Graves. 2010. Chronicle Books. 40 pages.
It’s A Book. Lane Smith. 2010. August 2010. Roaring Brook Press. 32 pages.

Number of Children’s Books: 6

In Too Deep (The 39 Clues #6) Jude Watson. 2009. Scholastic. 206 pages.
Complete Adventures of Curious George: 70th Anniversary Edition. Margret and H.A. Rey. 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 432 pages.
Curious George Storybook Collection. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 197 pages.
Otter Everywhere: Brand New Readers. By Christine Webster. Illustrated by Tim Nihoff. 2007. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.
Brand New Readers: Termite Tales. Kathy Caple. 2009. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.
Brand New Readers: Larry and Rita. Jamie Michalak. Illustrated by Jill Newton. 2007. Candlewick Press. 48 pages.Link

Number of Middle Grade: 7

A Tale Dark and Grimm. Adam Gidwitz. 2010. November 2010. Penguin. 192 pages.
Leaving Gee’s Bend. Irene Latham. 2010. Penguin. 240 pages.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda. Tom Angleberger. 2010. Harry N. Abrams. 141 pages.
Knightley Academy. Violet Haberdasher. 2010. Simon & Schuster. 469 pages.
Crunch. Leslie Connor. 2010. HarperCollins. 336 pages.
The Witchy Worries of Abbie Adams. Rhonda Hayter. 2010. Penguin. 256 pages.
Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer L. Holm. 2010. Random House. 208 pages.

Number of YA: 6

Kiss of Life. Daniel Waters. 2009. Hyperion. 416 pages.
Glimpse. Carol Lynch Williams. 2010. June 2010. Simon & Schuster. 496 pages.
Passing Strange (Generation Dead #3). Daniel Waters. Hyperion. 400 pages.
Sphinx’s Princess. Esther Friesner. 2009. Random House. 384 pages.
Shiver. Maggie Stiefvater. 2009. Scholastic. 400 pages.
The Half-Life of Planets. Emily Franklin. and Brendan Halpin. 2010. Hyperion. 256 pages.

Number of Adult: 7

The Convenient Marriage. By Georgette Heyer. (1934) Read by Richard Armitage. 2010. August 2010. Naxos Audiobooks. 5 hrs. 6 minutes.
Beauvallet. Georgette Heyer. 1929/2010. Sourcebooks. 301 pages.
Emma and the Vampires by Wayne Josephson. 2010. Sourcebooks. 304 pages.
April Lady. Georgette Heyer. 1957/2005. Harlequin. 270 pages.
The Foundling. Georgette Heyer. 1948/2009. Sourcebooks. 439 pages.
To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee. 1960. 281 pages.
Civil Contract. Georgette Heyer. 1961/2009. Harlequin. 432 pages.

Number of Christian: 6

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment. Tim Challies. 2007. Crossway Publishers. 208 pages.
Masquerade by Nancy Moser. 2010. Bethany House. 368 pages.
George Whitefield: God’s Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century. Arnold A. Dallimore. 2010. Crossway Publishers. 224 pages.
The Devil in Pew Number Seven: A True Story. Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss. 2010. Tyndale. 288 pages.
Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope. Mary Beth Chapman. With Ellen Vaughn. 2010. Revell. 288 pages.
The Vigilante’s Bride. Yvonne Harris. 2010. Bethany House. 304 pages.

Number of Nonfiction:

Number of Graphic Novels: 2

Koko Be Good. Jen Wang. 2010. September 2010. First Second. 304 pages.
Frankenstein The Graphic Novel: Original Text. Mary Shelley. 2008. Script Adaptation by Jason Cobley, American English Adaptation: Joe Sutcliff Sanders. Illustrations by Declan Shalvey, Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson, etc. Classical Comics. 144 pages.

Number of Poetry: 1

Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Salley Mavor. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin. 72 pages.

Number of Short Story Collections/Anthologies:

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 Vigilantes Bride
The Vigilante’s Bride. Yvonne Harris. 2010. Bethany House. 304 pages.

“Marry him? I most certainly will not. Why, I’ve never laid eyes on the man!”

Luke Sullivan didn’t exactly know what the consequences would be when he decided to rob the stagecoach. He’s not exactly a criminal. Just a hero with a momentary weakness–he’d just learned some surprising news about his past, his father, something that attributes blame to the rancher, Bartholomew Axel. Sullivan feels that Axel owes him a bit of money, and, that is his justification.

But what Sullivan didn’t know was that the stagecoach was carrying a beautiful young woman to her would-be-husband. She’s been purchased by a rancher. Three guesses as to who…yes, Sullivan’s enemy, Bartholomew Axel. Sullivan can’t in good conscience leave this woman to her fate. She has to be made to see the truth. That Axel is old, ugly, cruel, mean, and a bully. He’s not fit to be any woman’s husband. Since Emily McCarthy has never met him, and isn’t exactly thrilled with the arrangement to begin with, it’s not that big a struggle. Not that she’s happy to be ‘kidnapped.’ But she doesn’t consider it a crime for long. Especially after meeting Axel a few days later! No, Emily soon thinks that Luke may be the hero of her dreams.

Will Emily find her place in Montana? Will Luke Sullivan find a wife?

I liked this one. It is historical romance–Montana 1880s–with plenty of adventure and drama. I don’t think it’s the best Christian romance I’ve read this year. But I’ve certainly read worse.

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f6741068a6ysalon.png Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #35
Happy Sunday! Today is my blogoversary. Today Becky’s Book Reviews turns four! I think it is a good time for me to revise one of my goals for blogging. In the past, I’ve loved blogging daily, loved having a book to review for most days. But. I just can’t keep up this pace. I can’t. I need freedom. I need balance. So I might not have something to post every day of the week. So I might be reviewing fewer books per week, per month. But I’m hoping that what I do review, what I do post, will be worth it. By giving myself some freedom, I hope to have more things that I love, love, love.

What I’ve Reviewed This Week:

Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer L. Holm. 2010. Random House. 208 pages.
The Half-Life of Planets. Emily Franklin. and Brendan Halpin. 2010. Hyperion. 256 pages.
To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee. 1960. 281 pages.
Civil Contract. Georgette Heyer. 1961/2009. Harlequin. 432 pages.
The Vigilante’s Bride. Yvonne Harris. 2010. Bethany House. 304 pages.
Pocketful of Posies: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes. Salley Mavor. 2010. September 2010. Houghton Mifflin. 72 pages.
Chicken Big. Keith Graves. 2010. Chronicle Books. 40 pages.
It’s A Book. Lane Smith. 2010. August 2010. Roaring Brook Press. 32 pages.
Amazing Baby: Clap and Sing. Emma Dodd. 2007. Silver Dolphin. 12 pages.
Princess Baby On the Go. Karen Katz. 2010. August 2010. Random House. 14 pages.

Coming Soon:

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #35
Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope. Mary Beth Chapman. With Ellen Vaughn. 2010. Revell. 288 pages.

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #35
Frankenstein The Graphic Novel: Original Text. Mary Shelley. 2008. Script Adaptation by Jason Cobley, American English Adaptation: Joe Sutcliff Sanders. Illustrations by Declan Shalvey, Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson, etc. Classical Comics. 144 pages.

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #35
Jane Eyre The Graphic Novel: Original Text. Charlotte Bronte. 2009. Classical Comics. 144 pages.

 Sunday Salon: Reading, Read, To Read #35
The Adventures of Nanny Piggins. R.A. Spratt. Illustrated by Dan Santat. Little Brown. 239 pages.

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 Turtle in Paradise (MG)
Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer L. Holm. 2010. Random House. 208 pages.

Everyone thinks children are sweet as Necco Wafters, but I’ve lived long enough to know the truth: kids are rotten. The only difference between grown-ups and kids is that grown-ups go to jail for murder. Kids get away with it.

There are so many things to love about Turtle in Paradise. I loved the narrator, Turtle. I loved the characterization and the storytelling. I loved the writing. (Jennifer Holm has a way with words!) I loved the setting: Key West, Florida, 1930s. I loved the little details that help a reader feel settled in a specific time and place. In this case, Turtle’s love of comics (like Little Orphan Annie and Terry and the Pirates) and radio dramas (the Shadow) and her dislike of Shirley Temple.

The book stars an eleven year old, Turtle, who is moving from Pennsylvania to Florida. She is meeting her mother’s family for the first time. She’s coming to stay with her aunt and her cousins. (Her mom is staying behind with the new boyfriend and the new job.) It’s a “surprise” visit too. Minnie has no idea her sister is sending her daughter to stay with her. Will Turtle fit in with her cousins Buddy, Beans, and Kermit? Will she get along with Aunt Minnie? And what about her grandmother?! Turtle didn’t even know she had a grandmother living until she settled into her new life. Will Turtle find a way to open up with this new family, and make a place for herself in this new community? Will she find a way to be in the Diaper Gang even if she is a girl?

I would definitely recommend this one. I think it would make a great read aloud. It’s got heart, humor, and adventure!

My favorite quotes:

Kids lie. We have to or we’d never get anything. But grown-ups lie, too–they just do it differently. They leave things out; they don’t give you the whole story. (51)

In my opinion, the fellas who make Hollywood pictures are really just salesmen. Instead of peddling girdles, they sell thrills and chills, and folks eat them up. Not me, though. I’m no sucker. I know there’s no such thing as giant apes climbing skyscrapers or mummies walking out of tombs. But just try telling that to the boys. (123)

It’s a fact: if a kid is being nice, he’s probably up to no good. (131)

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c763c3788alarge.jpg Top Ten Picks: Fictional Places
Random Ramblings Top Ten Picks topic this week is fictional places. The list can be a mix of places we’d love to visit and places we wouldn’t ever really want to visit.

Prince Edward Island. The Anne series by L.M. Montgomery.

Barchester. Chronicles of Barsetshire by Anthony Trollope.

The Shire. Tolkien’s novels.

Regency England. Various romance novels of Georgette Heyer, Julia Quinn, etc.

Narnia. Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Gracehope. First Light. Rebecca Stead.

Archipelago of Dreams. The Chronicles of The Imaginarium Geographica. James. A. Owen.

Ingary. Howl’s Moving Castle. Diana Wynne Jones.

Hundred Acre Woods. The World of Pooh by A.A. Milne.

Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl.

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