Underrated Books Part 3!

 The last post I made about underrated books was back in April of this year. Granted, I didn't read a whole lot of books that I thought were "underrated" by the online bookish community standards. Or at least considered underrated by the people that I follow (on both bookstagram and booktube). But two of these are books I read as a kid that I don't see a lot of people talk about online.

So here are 4 more underrated books that I love that you need to read, too!

1. Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech. I read this book earlier this year and so far it's my favorite book from this author. Ruby Holler is about twin brother and sister Dallas and Florida who have grown up living either in a run down orphanage run by a cruel and greedy couple, or with foster families who mistreat them. Then they are taken in by an elderly couple named Tiller and Sairy, who live on a farm called Ruby Holler. Tiller and Sairy have been saving up money to go on two separate trips (Tiller a canoeing trip, Sairy a camping trip), and they invite Dallas and Florida to come with them. Dallas goes with Sairy, and Florida goes with Tiller. The twins are skeptical of the couple at first, but then they grow to love them as they are the first foster parents they've ever had who have treated them with kindness and patience. Meanwhile, the heads of the orphanage that Dallas and Florida came from, Mr. and Mrs. Trepid, try to steal the money Tiller and Sairy saved up so that they can escape on an expensive cruise. Overall, It's a great story with messages about family taking place in a small rural town, if you like that kind of setting. 

2. Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill. This is my favorite book so far from Kelly Barnhill. The Ogress and the Orphans takes place in a magical world in a small town called Stone-in-the-Glen. The town has recently gone downhill and has become a cold and uninviting place after the library and other buildings got destroyed by fires. The kindly owners and orphans living in the town orphanage have been trying to help out around town to revive the liveliness the town once had, but to no avail. They are also trying to save their own orphanage from being shut down due to lack of funding. When a kind ogress starts to live in the outskirts of town, she notices the town from afar and starts secretly helping out the townspeople, by leaving food and other presents on their front porches overnight. Eventually the ogress and the orphans stories intertwine, and they figure out clever ways to make the town welcoming again. Great cozy fantasy story, but still has some high stakes. 

3. Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes. This was a book I read way back in elementary school, but I see literally no one talking about it here online. Ginger Pye is about brother and sister Jerry and Rachel Pye, who want to have a dog to be a companion for their cat Gracie. While at school, Jerry and Rachel learn that they can earn some money by dusting off the pews at a local church, then they can buy a dog from a neighbor. They earn exactly one dollar to get the dog from their neighbor, Mrs. Speedy, and immediately everyone in the Pye family loves the dog. The rest of the people in their small town eventually grow to love the dog, too, who the family named Ginger. Then one day, Ginger all of a sudden disappears! Jerry and Rachel then have to find her with the help of their new friends, and even though it takes a long time, they find her with surprises along the way. It seems like a really simple story, but it's also a warm hug of a book if you just want to read about some kids and their love for their pet dog. 

4. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. Another book I read back in elementary school, and my favorite Kate DiCamillo book so far. This book is about a china doll in the shape of a rabbit named Edward Tulane, who is owned by a young girl named Abilene. She loves and cares for him very much, but unfortunately one day looses him while on a ship, as he falls overboard. Eventually he is found by some fishermen, and then gets tossed around being owned by all different sorts of people. He is also given different names and different kinds of clothes, depending on his new owner. Eventually, Edward meets Abilene again in a very unlikely place.