Candy Bunny Reader

  OMG! I think I found my true favorite Sharon Creech book of all time! Bloomability is now at the number two spot. The Wanderer is about thirteen year old Sophie, who goes on a sailing trip with her two cousins and three uncles across the Atlantic Ocean to meet her grandfather, Bompie, in England. They make a lot of pit stops along the way to get their boat fixed and to pick up more supplies. Sophie and her cousins also learn a lot along the way: about sailing, stories about each other, their uncles, and Bompie, and other random things like juggling. But the trip is not a smooth one! Sailing out onto the ocean blue isn't as whimsical as Sophie thought it would be, and they run into a lot of problems. Luckily, she has her family and they always support one another.  The story is actually told in alternating points of view of Sophie and one of her cousins named Cody. We learn that Sophie is actually hiding a mysterious past that she doesn't really want to talk about, and Cod...

  Another emotional Sharon Creech book! Saving Winslow is about Louie, who takes care of a sickly young donkey whom he names Winslow. He got the donkey from Uncle Pete, a family friend who lives on a farm. Everybody in Louie's social circle thinks Winslow won't survive, but with the right tools and care, Louie proves them wrong.  But taking care of a donkey isn't always easy! Luckily, Louie has a new friend name Nora who helps him out the most.  It is such a short book, but from page 1, it grabbed me with its themes! If you're in the mood for an emotional story of a kid and their pet with a happy ending, check this out! I gave it 4 stars , but that's just because some of the thematic matter might be heavy for some readers. But like all of Sharon Creech's books, they're written really well. 

  Have you read any of these? Or are now planning to? Additionally, these are all middle grade books! Coincidentally, all with 13 year old protagonists. Perfect for Middle Grade March! Or any time of the year. As usual, I put links to each book's Goodreads page if you want to learn more Check out the navigation page above for the previous parts of my underrated books series! 1. Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix --when 13 year old Bethany's parents start acting strange and leave her with an aunt she's never met before, she slowly finds out the truth about her own existence. 2. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings --the classic bittersweet story about 13 year old Jody and his pet fawn, Flag.  3. Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick --13 year old Stephen deals with his younger brother's ALL diagnosis.  4. The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech --the adventures of a guardian angel and 13 year old Zola in a small town in the Swiss Alps.

  I never forgot about this series on my blog! As long as I keep finding underrated books, the list will get longer.  1. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech. Full book description here . A girl named Rosie and her grandma deal with Rosie's conflicts with her next door neighbor and best friend Bailey. Has disability rep.  2. Fairy Idol Kanon manga series by Mera Hakamada . Full book description here . A short but cute magical girl idols kid's manga. 3. Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier . Full book description here . Two friends, later girlfriends, deal with the challenges of cheerleading. Has queer representation.  4. Garlic duology by Bree Paulsen. Full book description for book 1 here . An anthropomorphic Garlic goes on adventures! 

  Welcome back to my Favorite Authors series! Today it's all about Sharon Creech. The first book I read from Sharon Creech was Absolutely Normal Chaos , way back when I was in middle school. This book blew me away!  I didn't read another Sharon Creech book until I read probably her most popular book Walk Two Moons a few years ago. The book was good, but the ending was so sad! Still one of the saddest endings I ever read for a book.  I then decided to read more of her books. The next one I read was Ruby Holler. Then I read Chasing Redbird . Then I read Bloomability . I really liked all of them! Especially Bloomability .  Fun fact! Walk Two Moons, Bloomability, Chasing Redbird , and Absolutely Normal Chaos all take place in the same universe.  Unfortunately, I then read The Great Unexpected , and I DNF it. I also DNF'd Replay .  Luckily, I read The Unfinished Angel and Granny Torelli Makes Soup after that, and liked both of them!  Wanna know som...

  Welcome to part 9 of my ongoing series of books I don't see talked enough about online! I hope you like these books, too. Links to Goodreads summaries will be provided.  You can check out previous parts here: Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7 , Part 8 1. Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech . A sentimental tale of a girl who tries to heal her family from their problems when she uncovers a hidden trail leading from her town to the next town over. Also deals with her first crush on a boy who may or may not like her back.  2. Serafina series by Robert Beatty (link takes you to the first book). A fascinating historical fantasy series of an eccentric girl and her best friend solving mysteries in and around the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina. I personally recommend reading just the first 3 books. Book 4 doesn't add much.  3. The Story Girl by LM Montgomery . A cozy, slice of life book set on Prince Edward Island in Canada of two br...

  Have you ever read a book that was so good that you thought "this would make a perfect movie or tv show?" That's how I feel about the books on this list. What books do you think need adaptations?  1. Heartless by Marissa Meyer -it's a retelling of Alice in Wonderland and a villain origin story all rolled into one! Lots of people love those two tropes. They'd work perfectly in a movie. 2. Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee -an Achillean (gay) romance story with a diverse cast, set in New York City, and involves cooking. Might be perfect who people who are fans of Heartstopper and similar pieces of media.  3. The Cupcake Diaries series by Coco Simon -I could see these being an animated series for young kids. 4. The Blue Castle by LM Montgomery -a movie adaptation of this might attract people who like historical fiction and romance. Perfect for cottagecore lovers, too! 5. Any of Margaret Peterson Haddix's books, such as the Shadow Children series -they are al...

  Welcome to Part 8 of my favorite series to do on my blog!  Part 1-7 can be viewed here: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 I hope you add some of these to your TBR! Or I hope you've already read some of them. 1. Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier -a noblewoman named Dona St. Columb has grown disillusioned with her high-class lifestyle and decides to escape to the countryside. While there, she meets a handsome French pirate and his crew. She decides to join his crew and go on a little pirate adventure, which causes some drama back home.  2.  The Big Adventures of Majoko manga series by Tomomi Mizuna- a cute and magical slice of life manga series about a witch named Majoko and her new human friend named Nana. I should note that this series is mostly out of print now and copies are hard to find, and the few you do find on Amazon and eBay are usually very expensive. Although some of the volumes are somewhat reasonably priced on thriftbooks.com. I was ...

  More books I've read during my lifetime that need more love on the Internet. Tell me your favorite underrated books!  Starting with this part, I will instead give 1 sentence summaries of what the books are about. If you want longer summaries, you can click on the book's title to take you to its Goodreads page.  Here are parts 1-6 if you missed them: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 And here's Part 7's list: 1. It's Not the End of the World by Judy Blume. A classic YA book about a girl dealing with her parent's recent divorce. 2. The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw A YA historical fiction book loosely based off the the author's mother's experience during and after WW2 in Japan.  3. Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech A middle grade book told in diary format of a girl's unforgettable summer--mostly focused on her cousin trying to find his birth father.  4. Amelia's Notebook series by Marissa Moss This colorful, funny, and...

🌸 Do you like the cottagecore aesthetic, too? Here is a list of books that have cottagecore vibes to them. Links to Goodreads summaries are provided!🌸 Anne of Green Gables (series) by LM Montgomery.   The Blue Castle by LM Montogomery Jane of Lantern Hill by LM Montgomery O Pioneers by Willa Cather. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter The Girl who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill Sarah Plain and Tall by Patricia Maclachlan Mandy by Julie Andrews Snapdragon by Kat Leyh Witch Hat Atelier series by Kamome Shirahama Garlic Duology by Bree Paulsen Ronia the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech The Sprite and the Gardener by Rii Abrego Tea Dragon Society series by Kay O'Neill

I only read 5 books last month, but they were all highly rated! I hope you found a new favorite book in April, too. 1. The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo. This is the first of a new series by Kate DiCamillo. It follows 5 sentient puppets: a girl, a boy, a kind, a wolf, and an owl. They used to be owned by an old sailor with the last name Spelhorst. The puppets get donated and bought by two rich young sisters named Emma and Martha. They decide to write and perform a play with the puppets, but a series of mishaps happen that get in the way of play being performed, but when it gets performed, it turns out to be a success. Very whimsical and fairy-tale like short book. Gave it 5 stars . Full review here .  2. Avatar North and South Part 1, 2, and 3 by Gene Yang. Still continuing on with the Avatar graphic novel sequels, this time set in Katara and Sokka's homeland, the Southern Water Tribe. All 5 stars ! 3. Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech. Another top favorite of mi...

My third favorite Sharon Creech book, after Bloomability and Ruby Holler ! Granny Torrelli Makes Soup is about Rosie, who recently had a misunderstanding with her best friend, Bailey (a boy). Rosie's grandmother, whom she calls Granny Torrelli, helps Rosie with her problem by having Rosie help her cook some soup, while she tells her a story of a similar situation that happened to her back when she lived in Italy. The second half of the book, after  Rosie and Bailey make up,  follows another dilemma, with  Rosie and Bailey meeting a new girl name Janine and thinking their friendship will fall apart. This time, Granny Torrelli has them help her make spaghetti and meatballs. She tells them another similar story from her youth, and then a pasta party happens.  It's a short book, but it really packs an emotional punch. What else did you expect from Sharon Creech? The food descriptions really had me thinking the food was delicious. I'm in the mood for soup and pasta, to...

  I read a total of 11 books this month! You might notice I did not put any One Piece manga volumes here. That is because I decided to switch to the anime! So I am still consuming the story, but in a different format. I think the anime adaption by Toei is really well done!  Anyway, how did your reading go last month? Find any new favorites? 1. Ellie Engle Saves Herself by Leah Johnson. A middle grade urban fantasy book of a girl named Ellie who loves superhero stories. One day, she mysteriously gets magical powers to bring dead things back to life. Ellie tries to keep her powers a secret, but it isn't easy. I unfortunately gave this book 3 stars . Interesting premise, weak execution. You can read the full review here.  2. The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech. A magical realism novella set in a small village in Switzerland narrated by an eccentric unnamed guardian angel. We get to meet and learn about the people in the town, most notably an American girl named Zola, who...

  Yes, another Sharon Creech book! The Unfinished Angel is different than the rest of the books I've read from Sharon Creech so far. For one, it is a lot shorter. It's more like a novella. Secondly, it is magical realism! The story is narrated by an unnamed angel who guards a small village in Switzerland. They are confused why humans (or "peoples" as they call them) are the way they are, but they want to learn. The angel usually narrates in their unique voice what daily life looks like with what they often see, usually commenting on the same few people. The only one who can see and interact with the angel is an American girl named Zola, who came to live in the village with her father, whom the angel calls Mr. Pomodoro. He is planning on building an international school in the area (not the same one Dinnie from Bloomability goes to). The biggest event that happens in the story is a couple of runaway orphans are found in a chicken shed on a farm not far from the vill...

  My new favorite book from Sharon Creech ! Bloomability is about Dinnie, a girl who grew up moving around from state to state in the United States because her father keeps finding a new job frequently. Then one day when she's 13, her aunt and uncle come and take her to stay with them in Switzerland for a a while. That's because Dinnie's uncle became the headmaster of a new international school in the Italian-speaking part of the country, and they want to give Dinnie the opportunity to go there. Dinnie is initally unhappy about this, but as she starts meeting and befriending so many interesting other students at her new school and gets to learn more about Switzerland and the rest of the world, she grows to love the experience. I don't know what else to say about this book because it had all of the magic of a typical Sharon Creech book: a relatable protagonist, a coming of age story, learning the hard way people aren't always what they seem, and difficult topics han...

These are not all 5 star books, as you can see. These are books (and two series that's still ongoing) that I read this year that now just have a special place in my heart 😍. Tell me your favorite books of the year! Sleeping Around by Morgan Vega The Witch Hat Atelier manga series by Kamome Shirahama Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan One Piece manga series by Eichiro Oda Jane of Lantern Hill by LM Montgomery The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech Serafina and the Black Cloak by Robert Beatty The Last Cherry Blossom by Kathleen Burkinshaw Nevermoor Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

  Yay for another book tag! I saw this tag once again over at the YouTube channel of Angela from Literature Science Alliance (her video here ). It looked like a lot of fun. Feel free to do this tag if you see it! 1. In fall, the air is crisp and clear: name a book with a vivid setting. Anything by Kelly Barnhill! As of writing this, I have read from her The Girl who Drank the Moon and The Ogress and the Orphans. I am currently reading The Witch's Boy and is also has a very vivid setting. 2. Nature is beautiful, but also dying: name a book that is beautifully written, but also deals with a heavy topic like loss or grief. Three that come to mind are: We Are Okay by Nina LaCour, Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa, and Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech. 3. Fall is back to school season: share a non-fiction book that taught you something new. Word by Word by Kory Stamper. It's a nonfiction book about how dictionaries are made, specifically the Merriam-Webster English Dictionary...

  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 cano...

TW: Discussions of death Yes, another great book by Sharon Creech . She is a favorite author of mine now.  Chasing Redbird follows 13-year old Zinnia Taylor, or Zinny as she is nicknamed. She lives with her large family on a farm in Bybanks, Kentucky (not a real place in Kentucky, by the way). Living next door to them is her widower Uncle Nate. She was very close with her uncle, aunt, and cousin, as she would sometimes go over to their house to escape her noisy big house. But her aunt Jessie and her cousin Rose died a few years earlier, and Zinny feels guilty because she thought that she was responsible for their deaths (she was sick then her cousin Rose got infected and died, and aunt Jessie happen to die shortly after one day Zinny showed her a snake, which aunt Jessie was horribly afraid of). Even after everyone in her family told her it was never her fault.  Well, one day Zinny discovers that the small stone-paved trail behind her house that she sometimes walked with her...

  Yeah, we are technically a little past the midyear point, but better late than never! 1. Best book you read so far this year?  There's too many to pick! I guess I will have to go with Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan. 2. Best sequel you read so far this year?  Garlic and the Witch by Bree Paulsen 3. New releases you haven't read yet, but want to.  Of course, I can't guarantee I will  get around  to them this year, but I have my eye on these three in particular: Imogen Obviously by Becky Albertalli, Deep as the Sea, Red as the Sky by Rita Chang-Eppig, and Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett. 4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.  Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman! 5. Biggest disappointment of the year.  Again, too many to name, but I will have to go with 2 of my DNFs: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte .  6. Biggest surprise of...