Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Let me start by saying how much I adore this movie!! I've made my husband watch it with me once or twice and it was fun to watch him squirm in the girly parts. I love it in all it's cheesy glory.

Now, moving on to the book, which is a completely different beast. Ella Enchanted in it's literary form is far more serious than it's movie counterpart. It still has lighthearted, silly moments, but Ella's struggles are more severe. She is under a fairy curse that makes her obedient to whatever anyone tells her to do. Her spiteful stepsister discovers this weakness and exploits it, making Ella do things like give up her deceased mother's necklace and end her relationship with her best friend. Ella eventually gets herself out of those situations by running away from the boarding school she attends with her stepsisters. She heads off in search of the fairy who gave her this "gift;" on her journey she gets captured by ogres, runs into long-time friend Prince Char, and with his help, manages to avoid becoming dinner. Ella in the book is far more empowered and strong than her movie self. She solves her own problems and makes hard choices. The final conflict in the movie where Ella is battling internally trying to defy an order to kill Char doesn't happen. Instead, a less dramatic scene occurs where Ella has the same internal struggle that leads to her breaking the curse, but it is over whether or not she will marry Prince Char. Not quite as exciting as how the movie does it, but the same ending is accomplished: Ella and the prince live happily ever after.

I very much enjoyed this book. More serious than the movie, but still a lot of fun. Though, I think I might like the movie better. You can't get better than cheesy, all-cast musical numbers. Dancing ogres? Yes, please!

4 out of 5 stars

Emily and Einstein by Linda Francis Lee

This was a beautiful story! Emily is a 33-year old editor for a New York book publishing company and is married to Sandy Portman, a rich and stubbornly proud business man. One snowy night, on his way to meet with and tell his wife he wants a divorce, Sandy is hit and killed by a car. An angel, whom he refers to as "Old Man" throughout the story, comes and gives him a second chance to make things right with his wife. Now living in the form of a scruffy little dog named Einstein, Sandy has to overcome his pride, admit his faults, and focus his energies on saving the most important person in his life: Emily.

Shortly after Sandy's death, Emily learns that she is soon to be evicted from her Manhattan apartment by Sandy's mother. She is losing focus at work and has generally gone to pieces in every aspect of her life. She finds comfort in her dog Einstein, who seems to know her on an uncanny level.

The story is told from both Sandy's and Emily's perspective. As we uncover secrets Sandy kept from his wife, he becomes a highly despicable character. I have no sympathy for his disdain of living as a dog because of how terribly he treated Emily, who is as admirable as Sandy is despicable. I loved learning about Emily's job in publishing. I have recently decided I might someday enjoy being a book editor and have been researching what steps I would need to take now to make this a reality in upcoming years, so it was fun to read about her experience. Overall it was just a beautiful story. Very well written with believable characters and struggles. I would definitely recommend this one! 

4.5 out of 5 stars

My Fairy Godmother series by Janette Rallison

 It took me a day per book to read these gems. I'm always up for a good teen-lit fairy tale and these didn't disappoint! Chrysanthemum Everstar, aka Chrissy, is a Fair Godmother, not quite good enough to be a Fairy Godmother, which is why her teacher has assigned her to do some extra credit assignments to boost her grade. In book 1, Chrissy is sent to help 16-year-old Savannah who has just been dumped by her boyfriend for her older sister. Unfortunately she's already bought the perfect dress and now needs someone to take her to the prom, only a few weeks away! Savannah gets three wishes and the first two get her sent to the middle ages to play the part of Cinderella and then Snow White. When she wishes a "prince-type guy" will take her to the prom, she learns that a cute but quiet guy from school has been sent to the middle ages by Chrissy so that he can become a prince. Savannah must go and help Tristan become a prince so they can all get home, hopefully avoiding too much trouble along the way.

Book 2, My Unfair Godmother, is much like the first but still lots of fun. Her first extra credit project wasn't enough, so Chrissy is back to help another mortal with their dreary life. When her parents got divorced when she was a kid, Tansy didn't cope very well. She wouldn't talk to her dad on the phone and stopped reading novels because it used to be something they did together. She did things with the sole purpose of annoying her father. So when she is sent to stay with her dad, stepmom, and stepbrother for the summer, she finds Bo, who she believes is just misunderstood. After an already bad date gone wrong, Tansy finds herself in the police station and in a whole lot of trouble. Chrissy comes to grant three wishes, resulting in Robin Hood and his Merry Men showing up in Tansy's town and holding up local convenience stores. Further wishing lands Tansy and her family, plus gorgeous Hudson the police chief's son, in the middle ages. Tansy is forced to spin straw into gold for the king where she meets the manipulative Rumpelstiltskin. In order to get herself and her family home, Tansy must learn the moral to her story before it's too late.

I loved these books. They were witty, fun, had cute romances, and were so enjoyable to read. I love fairy tales and these were very fulfilling. Not too serious, though book 2 had a few serious moments, and perfect for a light and entertaining read. I highly recommend!

4 out of 5 stars

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

This book is by the same author who wrote Flipped, which I read a few months ago. Just before I read this book I decided that I wanted to do a big race before planning to have another baby and, consequentially, getting out of shape. I'd been exercising a lot already so I just needed to pick a race and tweak my training schedule. I thought about doing a half-marathon, but I really hate running so the idea of running 13.1 miles sounds like my idea of hell. My friend mentioned doing a triathlon and the idea stuck with me. I signed up for a sprint triathlon, which is the shortest distance: 1/2 mile open water swim, 15.1 mile bike ride, 3.1 mile run. Easy peasy, right?? Well I worked and I trained and I completed my first triathlon on June 1, 2013. During my training was when I read this book and it was the perfect read to keep my head in the game.

The Running Dream is about a high school track star who loses her leg in a car accident on the way home from a track meet. The story focuses on her personal journey of learning how to cope with losing a leg and adapting her life. She decides that she wants to continue running and works to accomplish her dream despite inconceivable obstacles.

I don't know if this is based on a true story, but shortly after I finished reading came the attacks at the Boston Marathon and I couldn't help but think of those people who lost their limbs and the journey they have ahead of them. I found The Running Dream to be inspiring and it helped me aspire to work harder to accomplish my dreams despite the difficulties life has in store. I definitely recommend this one--uplifting, easy read, all-around good book.

4 out of 5 stars

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

Oh this was a lovely book! The more I read, the more I realize what a hopeless romantic I am at heart. My favorite stories in the world to read are the ones that have a good love story and end happily. That's not to mean that I don't appreciate other literature as well, but there's something special about books like Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre.

Edenbrooke is a story set in Regency times, though it was written just a few years ago. Our heroine is Marianne, twin to Cecily, whose father has just sent her to live with her grandmother after the death of their mother. Cecily was sent to live with a cousin while their father went off to France to be alone to deal with his grief. Marianne tries to make the best of her situation though she is perfectly miserable. One morning her grandmother informs her that she intends Marianne to be her heir if she can prove herself to be a proper lady. Marianne is sent to live with her mother's best friend Lady Caroline at Edenbrooke for the summer where she is supposed to learn the ways of elegant ladies. Cecily, who has become great friends with Lady Caroline's daughter, will be there too and has written Marianne about her ambitious plans to marry Lady Caroline's eldest son.

On her way to Edenbrooke, Marianne's carriage is held up by a highwayman (gasp!) and her coachman is shot. The highwayman flees when Marianne's maid shoots a gun at him, and Marianne drives the horses to the nearest inn, where she meets a handsome and arrogant stranger. Marianne soon learns that he is Sir Philip, one of the sons of Lady Caroline of Edenbrooke and they strike up an unlikely friendship.

I loved the sense of humor throughout the book. Marianne is very funny and Philip very much appreciates her wit, resulting in highly entertaining banter. I only had a couple issues with this book. At times I could tell that this was not a genuine Victorian novel and that it was written in modern times. Compared to the classics, you can tell that this is an imitation. Also, as much as I loved Marianne, she was really, really stupid when it came to her own feelings, and that irritated me. She convinced herself for practically the whole story that she wasn't in love with Philip and that he didn't love her, when it was totally obvious that they were both in love with each other. Also I was annoyed that Cecily was completely obtuse and didn't figure out what her twin was going through.

In any case, I loved the book. Even though it wasn't convincingly Regency and sometimes the characters were a little dense, I read Edenbrooke twice in a row. Yep, twice. I read it the first time in a day and when I was done I realized I wanted to savor it a little more, so I read it again. And even after the second reading, I still love it.

Definitely recommend to the other hopeless romantics out there.

4.5 out of 5 stars

(btw, I debated about this rating. I loved the book, but there were a couple things that annoyed me. But I read it twice in a row, that's got to count for something. I almost gave it a 5, but I rarely give 5's. I have to be absolutely raving about a book to give it a 5, so I settled on 4.5.)

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Ahh, the perfect, light-hearted thing to read after a depressing WW2 book full of death and suffering. Flipped is about 2 kids who live across the street from each other, Juli and Bryce. Since the day Bryce's family moved in when they were about 6 years old, Juli has been in love. Something about his beautiful eyes made her swoon and forget her senses. So for years, until they hit middle school, Juli is on the offensive trying to be with Bryce as much as she can. Problem is, Bryce thinks she's a freak and doesn't want anything to do with her. Juli is oblivious to his cold shoulder and idolizes him for years. As she grows up a bit she starts to realize he may not be all she thought he was cracked up to be. Of course, this is about the time when Bryce realizes that Juli isn't exactly what he thought she was either and now has to convince her that he is a good guy, worthy of her attention.

This was a sweet, simple and silly story that took me back to elementary and middle school and all the crushes I had on boys. Only, unlike Juli, I was always too scared of the boys I liked to talk to them at all. I would pine for them from afar. It was fun to remember those days and the change in my literary repertoire was welcome. I finished in about a day and it was the perfect reprieve from overly serious stories.

3 out of 5 stars

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman

Last week I ran out of things to read. After I finished North and South, I started to panic because none of the books on my to-read list were at the local library, and heaven forbid I should go even a day without reading material. So I polled some friends during a play group for our kids and got a great list of books. The next few book reviews on this blog will be a result from their recommendations. Thank goodness for fellow bookworm friends!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt was a delightful feel-good book that left me with warm fuzzies all over. CeeCee, a 12 year old girl living in Ohio, has been raised by a mentally ill mother who frequently acts out her delusions that she is still the Vidalia Onion Beauty Queen from her youth in Georgia. She dresses up in prom gowns from the local Good Will and parades herself around town, humiliating her daughter. When CeeCee's mother is hit by a car and killed, her father, who chose to ignore his wife's illness and desert his family, comes to arrange for CeeCee to move to Georgia to live with her Great Aunt Tootie. Leaving the past behind, CeeCee is able to live and heal and thrive under her kind aunt's care and she meets many wise people who help her learn to move on and love her mother's memory.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If ever in the mood for a good, soul-uplifting story, I heartily recommend this one. I really enjoyed the characters that CeeCee meets in Georgia. Pretty much all of the significant characters, aside from her father, are women and there sure were some powerhouse ladies to help CeeCee along her way. The story is set in the 1960s and it kind of made me wish I'd grown up in the south. As a California girl, I can truly say that I've never, ever wished that before, but there is something so charming about southern hospitality and the way women back then took care of each other. Although it also reminded me of the racial inequality of the times, making me grateful for how far we have come as a nation.

Loved this story. Perfect for reading snuggled under a blanket on a cold day.

4 out of 5 stars

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

The second installment of the exciting Mysterious Benedict Society novels, I found the Perilous Journey to be delightful. I started listening to it on cd during a long drive through Wyoming, though my husband hadn't read the first and had a hard time following along, so we didn't finish. I then had to wait a week or so for my library to get the book transferred from another location. When I finally had the book in my hands, I had a hard time putting it down. I read on another book blog that it was a typical #2 in a series, not living up to it's predecessor. I have to say that I disagree. I found the characters even more charming; their gifts are developed, particularly Constance's, and I loved to see how the children grew both individually and closer together. The plot was fun, suspenseful, and entertaining. Definitely a good read!

The story picks up about 6 months after the last book ends. (For more info on book one, see my previous review here.) Mr. Benedict has planned a reunion for the children on the year anniversary of their first meeting. He plans for them to follow clues that will lead them on an adventure around the world. However, their long-awaited reunion is ruined when Mr. Benedict and his assistant are kidnapped by his evil twin (who is also the bad guy in book 1). The children decide to leave the adults behind and follow the clues left by Mr. Benedict in hopes of finding him and and rescuing him from his captor.

As mentioned above, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one! It's next on my list of books to read. Hopefully I can get it transferred soon from the library.

4 out of 5

Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale, Illustrated by Nathan Hale

 I've never read any graphic novels before and I've always been a little skeptical of them. When I think of graphic novels I think of nerdy, comic book obsessed, acne ridden teen boys, hiding out in their dark and dusty bedrooms. I'll admit I was mildly embarrassed to be browsing the graphic novel section of the library (after I was able to find it). But I must say, these were two of the most fun books I have ever read. I picked these up, of course, because they are written by Shannon Hale, whose books I have reviewed on this blog many times. I love her stories and was certainly not disappointed with these gems. Co-written by her husband with detailed and beautiful illustrations by Nathan Hale (not related), these short stories were captivating and full of action, humor, and a touch of romance.

Rapunzel's Revenge is the story of Rapunzel (obviously) and really gets going once her "mother" (at least, the one who calls herself her mother) puts Rapunzel in a tower for being disobedient. Mother Gothel has powerful magic and can make things grow but uses her magic to enslave the people. Her tower is actually a very, very tall tree. Food grows magically and somehow Rapunzel's hair is affected by the magic and grows super long. She escapes by using her hair as a lasso and soon runs into Jack. Together, Jack (of Jack and the Beanstalk) and Rapunzel go on an adventure to stop Mother Gothel's reign of terror, with the help of her trusty hair, and help people along the way, becoming heroes of the west. 

Calamity Jack picks up where Rapunzel's Revenge leaves off and is told from Jack's perspective. The pair heads east to Jack's hometown, where Jack is hoping to reunite with his mother and rebuild her house, since the first was destroyed by a giant beanstalk. When they arrive, they find themselves in a war zone and the city under attack by huge ant people and protected by giants. Jack and Rapunzel discover the giants are behind the ant people threat and fight to expose them to the city. In addition to the adventure, Jack goes through a personal journey of proving to his mother, Rapunzel and himself that he is a "good guy," despite having a shady background of scheming to get what he wanted.

Adjusting to reading a book that depends on the pictures to tell most of the story took a little time, but once I figured it out, the pictures were actually really fun to interpret and added so much to the story. I wish each book was about 3 times as long and I hope they write more sequels, though I haven't heard any reports for more books. I loved these books; they were so funny and easy to read. The pictures were so beautiful and detailed and expressive. Character development was also surprisingly good. Fun, fun stories I would absolutely recommend to everyone! Even those opposed to graphic novels, like I used to be. 

5 out of 5 stars

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Here is yet another book by the amazing Shannon Hale. I really, really love her books and "Midnight in Austenland" didn't disappoint! This is the sequel to "Austenland," which I reviewed here.

"Midnight in Austenland" was similar to it's prequel in that they're both about a girl in her thirties who goes to Austenland looking for something. The first sought to find her own Mr. Darcy while the second desired to have an experience that would change her. Charlotte is a self-described "nice" girl with a successful online landscaping business who is recovering from her recent divorce, due to her husband cheating and falling in love with another woman. She goes to Austenland with the hope of having an experience that will change her and help her learn to feel again.

I enjoyed this book even more than the first. It had a delightful blend of mystery/suspense, romance, and humor. Definitely had a darker twist than the first. I grew to love Charlotte; while I couldn't really identify with her life experiences of divorce and infidelity, I began to feel as though she were my sister. I could feel her heartaches, fears, and joy. I think it's so important for a story to have a main character that you really care about, and I definitely think Shannon Hale accomplished that in this book.

I definitely recommend this one!!

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

This delightful book came my way from a friend in my ward. We were talking about good books to read and she gave me this one. And I do mean that she gave me this book, which is, in my opinion, quite a gift. There's nothing better than a bookshelf full of good books.

Anyway, I would describe this read as a great follow-up to Harry Potter, or A Series of Unfortunate Events, or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, or the Percy Jackson books. It's about 4 orphans who are discovered by a *mysterious* man named Mr. Benedict through a series of tests. These children all have special abilities--nothing supernatural, just special. Reynie is extremely smart and has a gift of solving complex puzzles. Sticky has a photographic memory. Kate is exceptionally resourceful and always carries around a bucket full of useful supplies, like a slingshot and a mini telescope. Constance has the gift of stubbornness, which may not seem like much, but it turns out to be lifesaving where these kids are sent. Their mission is to go undercover at a school that is training children to send subliminal messages that will brainwash society. It is incredibly dangerous and the kids must pull together to defeat Ledroptha Curtain, the evil mastermind who wants to take over the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! It had good humor, an intelligent plot, and fun characters. I'm planning on reading the sequels as soon as I can get them from the library. Good read!

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede

The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C Wrede were recommended to me by my good old friend Diana. There are 4 books in the series: Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons. I must say that all of these books were absolutely delightful!

Dealing with Dragons introduces us to our heroine Cimorene, a princess who is unlike ordinary princesses. She finds normal princess behavior and topics of study very boring, so she goes out and becomes a dragon's princess. She cooks and cleans for a dragon named Kazul while uncovering a plot by wizards to steal magic from the dragons.

In Searching for Dragons we meet the king of the Enchanted Forest, King Mendenbar. He goes off one day for a walk in his forest and discovers that part of the forest is dead and has been completely stripped of it's magic. He decides to go speak with the king of the dragons (who is now Kazul) which is where he meets Cimorene. Kazul is missing, so Mendenbar and Cimorene go off to find the dragon king. They discover that wizards have captured Kazul and are again trying to plot to steal magic and take over the world. By the end of the story Mendenbar and Cimorene fall in love and get married.

Calling on Dragons is told from the perspective of a witch named Morwen, to whom we were introduced back in the first book. She is good friends with both Kazul and Cimorene and helped rescue Kazul in book #2. In this story the wizards have stolen King Mendenbar's magic sword, an extremely powerful tool that protects the forest from the wizard's repeated attempts at thievery. Morwen, Cimorene, a magician friend named Telemain, Kazul, 2 of Morwen's cats, and a giant-blue-donkey-with-wings-that-used-to-be-a-rabbit set off to find the sword. Meanwhile the wizards infiltrate the castle and capture Mendenbar.

Our final story, Talking to Dragons, takes place years later and is told from the perspective of Daystar, the son of Mendenbar and Cimorene. While Mendenbar has been locked away in a magical prison set up by the wizards for the last 16 years, Cimorene has been teaching and raising Daystar. She sends him off on a quest with his father's sword without telling him about his heritage or what he is supposed to do. Daystar meets many interesting characters during his travels in the Enchanted Forest and is eventually able to use the sword to help rescue his father from the wizard's prison.

I loved reading these stories. I think they are intended for 10-year-olds so the writing style is very easy and fun. I particularly love the author's sense of humor that is throughout each story. The writing frequently pokes fun at the traditional fairy tales where the princesses wait to be rescued by a noble prince or knight. Overall I found these books to be clever, funny, and highly entertaining. Definitely would recommend to everyone!

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Gift by Cecelia Ahern

I'm a big fan of Cecelia Ahern. I think she comes up with the most fascinating ideas for her stories. I don't always love how she resolves the conflicts in her books, but she is a beautiful story-teller and has such creative ideas. This book was not my favorite of her books but it was definitely worth reading.

The Gift tells a story about a workaholic who has been unfaithful to his wife, a lousy father to his 2 small children, and generally cares about the wrong things in life. He meets a homeless man outside his work building and gives him a job in the mail room. This homeless man helps him take a look at himself and make some difficult changes with his life.

This was a nice story, well told, reminding us all about what is truly important: family, friends, and being a good person. Definitely would recommend this story to others!

3.5 out of 5 stars

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Over the holidays I spent one night at my brother and sister in law's home. While our husbands were off playing basketball, Lori and I started talking about some of our favorite books and she asked if I've read anything by Shannon Hale. Well, I got pretty excited at that point because I LOVE Shannon Hale's books, at least the 5 that I've read (all of which can be found reviewed on this blog). She loans me her copy of Princess Academy since I haven't read it yet and I finish it within about a day and a half.

Princess Academy is about a little girl named Miri who lives in a mountain village, Mount Eskel, where everyone works in the quarry mining a special type of rock called linder. When the king's priests prophesy that the future princess will come from Mount Eskel, an obscure corner of the kingdom, an academy is set up to prepare the girls of this village to potentially become princesses. Not all of the girls want to become a princess but all are forced to work hard to refine their habits so when the prince comes to choose his bride in a year's time they will be ready.

Like all of Shannon Hales books, I quickly fell in love with her characters, especially Miri, who is a real spunky and spitfire of a girl. She grows up quite a bit during the course of this story, making up for her small size and inability to work in the quarry like everyone else by using her brain to improve the quality of life of those in her village and saving the lives of her peers at the academy from bandits. This wasn't really as good as Hales' other stories, but she still was able to weave a charming new world with believable characters. I even cried once or twice. :) Definitely would recommend this book!

3.5 out of 5 stars

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

Book of a Thousand Days, by Shannon Hale. Can I just say that Shannon Hale is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors?? I LOVED her Books of Bayern series, and this story was just as fabulous!

Loosely based off the Brother's Grimm tale "Maid Maleen" (which I've never actually heard before...) and set in medieval Mongolia. It's written in diary format from the point of view of Dashti, the maid to Lady Saren. Dashti agrees to stay with her lady who is to be locked in a tower for 7 years as punishment for refusing to marry the man her father chose for her. Conflict, adventure, humor, and a love story ensue.

I was surprised by how much adventure there was in a story involving 2 girls locked in a tower! The writing was gripping and magical and I got lost in the words each time I read. I typically read during my hour lunch break at work, and I had a particularly hard time putting this book down at the end of my hour. Beautiful and heartwarming and satisfying read. Recommended to all!

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book came to me as a recommendation from my mother who read it in her book club. Turns out this is a highly popular book club choice, and after reading it, I can see why. The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, is set in the 1960's in Mississippi and is told from the perspective of 2 black maids (Aibileen and Minny) and 1 white lady (Skeeter), all of whom are tired of the rigid rules and lines that define their lives. Skeeter wants to be a writer and starts the project of writing a book from the point of view of the maids working in white families. She interviews a dozen or so maids in Jackson who tell their experiences working in a white world, even though it's very dangerous to be telling stories, good or bad, about your past and present employers. Skeeter, Aibileen, and Minny work hard to see this project come to fruition and eventually influence the way the people in their town view each other.

It took me a couple tries to really get into this book, but once used to the tone and language the story is written in I really, really enjoyed it. There wasn't much of a love story to it, which is usually something I look forward to in a good book, but I didn't feel like the story needed any romance. It had a good amount of suspense and humor and dealt with real life issues. It made me think about what it might have been like to grow up in the south and deal with issues of race. Having grown up in California where diversity was celebrated, I have never really experienced or understood racism. Now living in Virginia, where I think scars of racism still exist, I have been thinking more about how silly it all is. People are people, and that's that. I really love the character of Aibileen in the story. She's this sage grandmotherly/motherly woman who is strong and kind. She takes care of a little white girl, Mae Mobley, and tells her "secret stories" about Rosa Parkes, Green Martian Luther King, and other examples to teach her tolerance and love for everyone, that they are all the same. She tells Mae that she is smart, kind, and good, hoping that she will see these things in herself and be a good person for it.

I didn't particularly care for the ending; I was expecting everyone to live happily ever after, but it didn't end that way. I won't say what happened, but I was hoping for more. But even still, I was left feeling full of love for people, especially the kids I work with. They frustrate me, tire me out, give me bad dreams, make me want to rip my hair out, but I really do love them. Each one is special and it breaks my heart to know that many of them do not get the love they need from home. The take home message for me from this book was about love, and I think that's a pretty fabulous feeling to get from a book. I definitely recommend this one.

5 out of 5 stars