Beholding Bee

BEHOLDING BEE by Kimberly Newton Fusco. Knopf, 2013 (Listening Library audiobook)

Bee always takes care to cover her "diamond," the birthmark on her cheek that causes folks to stop and stare and make rude comments. This is not easy when she has to work at the hot dog stand of a traveling carnival. Her guardian, Pauline, does what she can to protect Bee. But, one day, Bee and Pauline are separated. Bee is left to deal with Ellis, the cruel owner of the carnival. Before long, Bee is heading out, running away accompanied only by a dog and a tiny pig. Somehow, Bee manages to find her way to a house, a place where she is welcomed by two elderly women, women no one else seems able to see. This coming of age story, set during WW II, is about acceptance, about love, and about family.

Knotty but nice, really nice

A TANGLE OF KNOTS by Lisa Graff. Philomel, 2013.



It is a world where people have TALENTS. Some might have a talent for baking, some for knitting, some for writing. But when you are still searching for your own talent, life can be tough. The story is revealed in a series of episodes that introduce the seemingly random group of characters, but while their relationships might seem tangled at first, there are ties that bind them all together, knots that will keep them together despite efforts to tear them apart. Graff has constructed a wonderful puzzle of a novel that will keep readers turning page after page to discover the next twist of the tale. Humor, magic, and wonderful recipes await between the covers.

Earwig and the witch

EARWIG AND THE WITCH by Diana Wynne Jones (Greenwillow 2012) gives readers a heroine who can stand up to all manner of beasts. Earwig has been happy growing up in the orphanage. When she is selected by a couple who want to adopt her, she is, quite frankly, disappointed to be leaving a place where she is firmly in charge. That is most certainly NOT the case with her new home at 13 Lime Avenue. Bella Yaga and the Mandrake are not really in the market for a child. Yaga wants a slave, and Mandrake just wants some peace and quiet. With the assistance of the witch's familiar, Earwig manages to wrest control and take back her life. <150>