A short and belated reading wrapup. August was a really hectic month with a couple of birthday parties, a wedding and my oldest daughter starting primary school, plus a whole lot of work chaos, which really didn’t leave much time or headspace for reading. I DNF’d two books but thoroughly enjoyed the two books I did manage to read/listen to.
Storm Child by Ele Fountain
I picked up Storm Child from the library because it was on the longlist for the Wainwright’s Children’s Fiction prize, and I was genuinely disappointed it didn’t make the shortlist. The story follows Maya, a talented teenage surfer, whose family are struggling financially, when disaster strikes her parents make a life changing decision to start over halfway across the world. This is such a lovely, engaging coming of age story about adapting to change, friendship, learning that sometimes adults don’t have all the answers, and the impact of tourism on people, places and nature.
Small Talk by Richard Pink and Rox Pink
I’ve followed Roxanne and Richard Pink’s humorous and relatable instagram account for a while but both their books have blindsided me with their insight into the shame and sense of failure that living with ADHD causes. Small Talk explores some of the most common negative self beliefs that ADHDers may hold from “I’m lazy/stupid/useless” to addiction and suicidal ideation. I found this book incredibly compassionate, relatable and helpful as both someone living with ADHD and as the partner of another ADHDer.
July was a hectic month with a lovely family holiday, work stress, car breakdowns and a funeral all sapping my time and attention, but it turned out to be a great month for reading.
Perfect Victims by Mohammed El-Kurd
Perfect Victims explores the idea that some lives are more valuable than others and that Palestinians must always prove their innocence when they are killed before anyone is willing to condemn the killing or killer. Even when Palestinians try to advocate for their rights, the entire legal system is rigged against them, and the Western media are biased when they automatically accept the Israeli press and government as more impartial and credible than Palestinian journalists, doctors, academics or civilians. This is a searing critique of western hypocrisy and racism, but a necessary one.
A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir
I left it slightly too long between reading the third book (reviewed here) and the final part of the Ember in the Ashes quartet, but I was soon immersed back into this fantastical story of djinn, and a brave band of rebels lead by Laia, Elias and Helene standing up to a ruthless, authoritarian empire ruled by Elias’ mother, Keris, and the King of the Djinn determined to seek vengeance on the humans who imprisoned his kind. A Sky Beyond the Storm really tugged at the heart strings as the characters experience grief and loss in their desperate fight for freedom and this was a brilliant conclusion to the series.
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
This was actually recommended by friends who had seen the film, and it was my holiday read. This is the story of a robot called Roz who finds herself shipwrecked on an island and learns to survive by watching the animals that also live on the island. This is such a sweet, poignant and sometimes tense read with so many themes that I love to read about like friendship, found families and community. The Wild Robot is the first book in a trilogy and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
Turtle Moon by Hannah Gold
I’d enjoyed The Last Bear (reviewed here) and planned to read the sequel next until I saw Turtle Moon is on the longlist for the Wainwright’s Children’s Prize, which is my favourite literary award. Turtle Moon follows a little girl called Silver who’s parents are struggling with secondary infertility and decide to take their family to Costa Rica for a break. Silver gets involved with the local turtle sanctuary and this is such a wonderful adventure about turtles (and other animals like Speedy the baby sloth ❤️), poaching, conservation and family that I think I loved even more than The Last Bear.
ADHD Girls to Women by Lotta Borg Skogland
An absolutely fascinating book packed full of information about the gender bias in medicine, diagnostics, education and socialisation that means so many females are misdiagnosed or diagnosed with ADHD much later in life than males. This explores how adhd symptoms show up differently in females but also how our hormonal fluctuations can impact adhd throughout the life course from puberty to periods, pregnancy and menopause. I have often felt my ADHD is more of a disability than a superpower, and I have rarely felt so seen and less alone in my struggles and challenges than I did while reading this book.
Ghostlines by Katya Balen
Another longlist nominee for the Wainwright’s Children’s Fiction Prize. I read and loved October, October (reviewed here) by Katya Balen a while ago, and this felt like a spiritual sequel. Ghostlines is the gripping story of Tilda who lives on Ayrie Island, and parts of it reminded of childhood adventures with the Famous Five or Swallows and Amazons but threaded with the mystery of Tilda’s missing brother, a new friend and a secret island to explore. I just couldn’t put down this thrilling story of family, islands, ghosts, storms, friendship, cats, dogs and puffins.
I had great plans for #middlegrademarch but I experienced my first reading slump and it ended up being a slower month than expected.
Amari and The Night Brothers by B. B. Alston
This is a fantastic middlegrade novel about Amari Peters, a young black girl, investigating the mysterious disappearance of her older brother. Amari’s investigations lead her to the Board of Supernatural Affairs, a clandestine boarding school and ministry for supernatural creatures and people with supernatural powers, where she discovers that she possesses powers beyond her wildest imaginings. This was such a gripping and fun read that really felt like a much more modern and inclusive Harry Potter, that explores race and prejudice, and I was rooting for Amari the whole way. This is the first part in a trilogy and I’m really looking forward to seeing where Amari’s adventures and investigations take her next.
The Hunt for the Golden Scarab by M. G. Leonard
I’d enjoyed Ice Children by M.G Leonard last year, and spotted this at my library after seeing it all over instagram. The Hunt for the Golden Scarab is the first book in the Time Keys duology following Sim, his enigmatic mother and his cousin, Jeopardy, who discover they can use music to open doors to the past and embark on an adventure to stop a rival faction of time travellers from acquiring a valuable and powerful artefact from the Egyptian Pharoahs. I found there was quite a bit of exposition describing how music can facilitate time travel, but this was a really fun adventure.
Crookhaven: The Island Heist by J. J. Arcanjo
The Crookhaven series have quickly become one of my favourite comfort reads combining daring heists with found family and friendship. Crookhaven is such a unique series, offering a fresh twist on the boarding school setting of so many children’s books, switching classes in art, P.E and computing classes for forgery, criminastics and hacking. I also really appreciate that in an ocean of ‘chosen one’ stories, this series promotes friendship and teamwork as the group of exceptional young thieves, hackers, athletes and forgers combine their skills to thwart their enemies and undertake heists.
Now It All Makes Sense by Alex Partridge
Alex Partridge was already a successful entrepreneur when he discovered that he had ADHD and has subsequently started a successful podcast interviewing various celebrities with ADHD and psychiatrists and psychologists who specialise in ADHD, and I found this book to be compassionate, relatable and humorous. My only gripe is that there’s two chapters on romantic relationships and I would have liked one on maintaining friendships as well as this is an area where I struggle, and there’s quite a lot of advice for those seeking to become entrepreneurs, which may work for some people, but is not a realistic option for everyone. There’s a good mix of personal experiences, research and practical advice in here, but I will always vehemently disagree with Alex about using the dishwasher as an extra cupboard!
September was a slow month for reading as the kids were off nursery with tummy bugs and colds.
Tilly and the Lost Fairy Tales by Anna James
September often has me seeking out stories with magic, and this series is such a comfort read. In the second installment of the series, Tilly and her friend Oskar, find themselves in Paris investigating some very mixed up fairy tales. This one shows turmoil at the heart of the Under Library as the book wanderers elect a new leader, the children’s old adversary returns and a new villain introduces themselves. This series is such a treat for readers with this one offering some fun and amusing fresh twists on beloved fairy tales.
Rosa by Starlight by Hillary McKay
A modern fairytale, this was much sadder than I anticipated, as orphaned Rosa has the chance to visit Venice with her neglectful aunt and uncle. One thing that I loved was the role of cats as patient and comforting childhood companions, that reminded me so much the special relationship I had with our own family pet. I did find this quite a sad story for children but one with a lovely ending full of found family and a touch of magic.
The House by the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune
I put off reading this for a long time because it was so hyped when it came out. This very much reminded me of Good Omens and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy as an unassuming social worker, Linus Baker, who has been living a predictable and lonely life is given an assignment to visit an orphanage full of extraordinary children. The story is a cosy comfort read in that it’s a slow burn romance and one where Linus’ own growth take centre stage, and there isn’t much action or adventure to drive the plot, but it does tackle some serious themes about prejudice, foster care and found families.
On Palestine by Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappe
This is a book offering an American and Israeli context for the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel between two somewhat controversial anti-Zionist academics, it’s a combination of transcribed dialogue, essays and speeches. Published in 2015, it’s incredibly relevant with some interesting insights into possible future scenarios for Israel and Palestine, but it did seem a bit repetitive in places.
Blogging has fallen by the wayside once again, and only finding time to share my June reviews midway through July.
Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham
Listened to this on Audiobook, and it really felt like catching up with an old friend who occasionally gives really good advice about dieting, dating, technology and social media. What really comes across is that she is every bit as much of a Gilmore Girls fan as the fans themselves. This is a whistle stop tour of Lauren’s life, more thematic than chronological it reminded me of Carrie Fisher’s trilogy of short autobiographies. Short on scandals and gossip but full of wry commentary and self-deprecating humour, this is a thoroughly enjoyable autobiography.
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
This had a slow start, introducing all the characters and intrigue, but the second half was absolutely gripping. A Magic Steeped In Poison follows a girl called Ning whose mother was a shennong, a kind of tea mage, but both her mother and sister were poisoned by someone who has been contaminating tea around the Empire. Her mum succumbs to the poison but Ning travels to the capital city to compete in the competition to become the new royal shennong and ask the princess to heal her sister. Along the way she meets a mysterious but handsome exile, and finds herself embroiled in imperial politics. This definitely suffers from some pacing issues and the magic is a bit of a muddle but I’m keen to find out how it all works out in the concluding part.
A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll
Every so often I read a book I love so much I want to press it into the hands of every reader I know, and I could tell right from the first page that this would be one of those books because every word of this hits home. I’ve always been drawn to stories about underdogs challenging injustice and this story follows an 11 year old autistic girl, Addie, as she learns about women from her own little scottish village who were tried and executed as witches. Recognising that the witches were most probably women who didn’t fit in and feeling kinship with them, Addie starts a campaign for a village memorial. Like so many children’s books, this has some pretty big themes like disability, friendship and bullying, shame and self acceptance, but is a wonderful story and definitely one of my favourites of the year.
Dirty Laundry by Roxanne Emery and Richard Pink
Over the years, I’ve overcome a lot of insecurities and so this (audio)book really surprised me because I expected a lighthearted but candid book about ADHD similar to the Instagram content they share, instead it ended up highlighting how often I’ve blamed myself for being lazy and useless because of symptoms I now know are part of ADHD. There were so many parts I could relate to from my sudden all consuming interests and hobbies, directional dyslexia, losing possessions, time blindness and struggles with housekeeping and personal hygiene. There are lots of useful tips to help make life easier but at times I wondered how Rox would cope without her organised and infinitely patient husband Rich, but the general relationship advice of being honest and treating each other with kindness and understanding is solid.
The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
This is a paranormal mystery-heist loosely inspired by the real story of a black woman called Clara Johnson who shot and killed a white policeman but was acquitted. In this story, Clara has paranormal abilities to communicate with spirits, and is one of several humans who have made deals with deities known as Enigmas who can bestow charms on people for a price. The Monsters We Defy is a really intriguing paranormal mystery as Clara finds herself trying to rescue people who have gone missing and free herself from the deal she made with an Enigma. I really enjoyed the richly described setting in Washington DC during the 1920s, the exploration of race and class during that era, the tense and spooky atmosphere, and slow burn romance.
The Kingdom Across the Sea by Zohra Nabi
A thrilling and gripping children’s fantasy about a recently orphaned young girl, Yara, who finds herself travelling from Bournemouth into a magical kingdom across the sea on a journey of self discovery. Trying to follow the last letter of her mother’s instructions, Yara tracks down a sorceress and finds herself against alchemists plotting to destroy all sorcerers who have been forced into hiding. This is such an exciting and heartwarming story of bravery, determination, identity, friendship and found family.
The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa
I loved The Travelling Cat Chronicles (reviewed here) a few years ago and picked this up recently while looking after my own beloved cat Mara after we discovered an ulcer on her eye. Both of these books really capture the eccentricities and personalities of the animals that we take on as pets, but also the sense of companionship, sense of purpose and well-being that pet ownership provides. The Goodbye Cat is seven short stories about different cats and the people who love and care for them with some new characters and others recurring from The Travelling Cat Chronicles.
Halfway through the year and I’m slightly ahead of my reading goal. What have you been reading lately? X
I read a real mix last month with two children’s books, two Japanese novellas and two contemporary women’s fiction.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
This is the story of a town that sacrifices the youngest baby every year to a witch that lives in a forest, and the witch accidentally feeds one of the baby’s moonlight which gives her magical powers. The Girl Who Drank the Moon is a story about sorrow and grief, and of how we can close off and harden our hearts to protect ourselves from heartache, or we can open them because love expands and can heal all our hurts. I found the back story told in bits a bit hard to piece together, but this is a gentle fairytale that gave me a warm fuzzy feeling, though I didn’t love it quite as much as The Ogress And The Orphans.
Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
This is the third book in this series, and this one changes locations from a cafe in Tokyo to the coastal city of Hakodate, but this cafe also has a particular seat that allows the customer to return to a moment in the past (or future) to meet someone who has also visited the cafe for the time it takes a cup of coffee to cool. These books are interesting explorations of grief and learning to live with the past it, and I really appreciated the new location with its descriptions of view of the marina and the hustle and bustle of the cafe, but it did require a bit of suspension of belief about how easy it is to become a comedian in Japan and how many young women die suddenly from obscure illnesses.
Crookhaven: School for Thieves by J. J. Arcanjo
This was an impulse purchase, but one that turned out to be a hit. Crookhaven: School for Thieves follows an orphan called Gabe who lives with his gran and happens to be a talented pickpocket. Gabe is eventually invited to Crookhaven, a boarding school that trains the students in the art of forgery, lock picking, pick pocketing, parkour, hacking and other skills they’ll need to know become the next generation of Robin Hoods. Along the way, Gabe starts to search for the parents that abandoned him and disappeared without a trace. This was a very refreshing take on a boarding school story full of friendship, found family, adventure and mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed and I can’t wait to read the next one.
The Last Library by Freya Sampson
I don’t read a lot of contemporary fiction, but I found this completely captivating and heartwarming. This is the story of June Jones, a socially awkward and reclusive library assistant, who has been lost in her grief for ten years after her mother died. When the council threatens to close the library where she works, she finds herself pulled into the protests and campaign to save it, finding friends, community and romance along the way. I was absolutely rooting for June from the start, a really lovely story about grief, friendship, community and libraries.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
I was a little underwhelmed by the second Japanese novella I read last month. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop follows a broken hearted woman who quits her job after finding out her boyfriend is engaged to someone else, and goes to live with her uncle who runs a secondhand bookshop. The book is split into two parts, the first is about the narrator learning to love to read, while the second part is more of a slice of life as she gets to know her aunt better and finds a new love interest. I felt like this book couldn’t decide what it wanted to be and was too short to really try to follow two different story lines.
A Very Distant Shore by Jenny Colgan
This was another impulse pick from the library. I don’t read a lot of contemporary fiction but I’ve been craving heartwarming stories to counter the increasingly bleak news reports. A Very Distant Shore follows a woman caring for her father who lives on the distant island of Mure that is struggling to recruit a new GP and a Syrian refugee who is offered a fresh start on the island. This is a short book but I felt it handled the issues of asylum seekers sensitively, and while the details are deliberately vague it doesn’t gloss over his trauma. I really enjoyed this short, poignant story and I’ll definitely be reading more by Jenny Colgan.
We’re well and truly into autumn here in Scotland with frosty mornings, dark evenings, and the leaves turning all gold, amber and red, and decided to share a few of our favourite autumnal bedtime stories we’ve been enjoying together lately.
Pumpkin Soupby Helen Cooper
A story about three friends (a duck, a squirrel and a cat) who live together and all have a specific job to do when it comes to making the most delicious pumpkin soup, until one day the Duck decides he wants to try doing Squirrel’s job instead. This is a lovely story about friends falling out and making up again.
Little Goose’s Autumn by Ellie Woollard and Briony May Smith
One of two very different stories illustrated by Briony May Smith in this post. Little Goose’s Autumn is a gentle rhyming story about a goose trying to work out what she’s supposed to do in autumn by talking to other animals preparing for winter, before she finds others of her kind who show her the way.
Ollie’s Lost Kitten by Nicola Killen
We have a few of the books in this sweet little series about a girl called Ollie and her adventures. In this autumn/Halloween story, Ollie and her cat are out playing when she finds a lost kitten that she helps to reunite with his owner, but she gets lost in the forest in the process until she’s rescued by her own cat.
The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater
An amusing and fun story about a confused squirrel trying to investigate who keeps stealing the leaves from his tree in autumn, and the (long-suffering) little bird that tries to explain the changing seasons to the forgetful squirrel.
Witch in Training by Michelle Robinson and Briony May Smith
The other book illustrated by Briony May Smith in this post, which I bought as my oldest suddenly became scared of witches after watching Disney’s Tangled. This is all about a young witch learning to make potions and flying around on her broomstick searching for ingredients with her mum and familiars. A fun little story about learning, making mistakes and fixing them when the magic goes awry.
The Enchanted Dream by Sue Rawlings and Charlie Dear
Lastly, this is a recent purchase that I couldn’t resist when I saw it in a children’s boutique on our recent visit to Pitlochry and The Enchanted Forest. Written by a Scottish illustrator and writer duo, this is a simple story about a group of children and their carer making autumn crafts before going to visit the Enchanted Forest light show with lots of little references to the area around Pitlochry. It was a perfect souvenir from our recent trip.
We’re into the cosy seasons when I love to curl up with a book and mug of something warming. In September, I was in the mood for magical stories, but instead of embarking on a Harry Potter reread, I decided to try some newer children’s stories about magic, witches and wizards, and the power of stories themselves.
The Ogress And The Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
This is the story of a lonely but kind Ogress and a greedy dragon, of practical and sensible orphans, and many fearful and suspicious people in a town that used to be lovely. The writing wraps itself around the reader like a blanket, letting this gentle, meandering, enchanting and poignant story of fear, greed and suspicion, kindness, generosity and community unfurl.
The House at the Edge of Magic by Amy Sparkes
A lighthearted, fast paced fantasy adventure about a young thief called Nine who finds a a magic house and reluctantly agrees to help the cursed inhabitants, a wizard called Flabbergast, a troll and an animated spoon. This was such a fun and easy read, but one with enough mystery to leave me wanting more.
Hedgewitch by Skye McKenna
Hedgewitch is the first in a 5 part series about Cassie Morgan, whose mother went missing seven years ago, but she’s never given up hope of finding her. Just before her 13th birthday she finds out her mother was a witch and she’s taken to live with her aunt Miranda, the Hedgewitch, who guards the border separating the Britain from the land of the Fae, but someone has been tampering with the wards that prevent the Fae from crossing over and children have been going missing. This had a bit of a slow start but brilliant world building and was very reminiscent of Harry Potter and the Worst Witch.
Tilly and the Book Wanderers by Anna James
This is the first part in the Pages & Co series, and it’s such a story for book lovers. Tilly finds out that she has the ability to travel into stories and interact with the characters, but it turns out to be much more dangerous and exciting than she expected as she learns the rules of book wandering, and tries to solve the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. This was such a cosy, comfort read that had me wanting to dig out all the old classics like Alice in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables, and The Little Princess that are referenced in the story, and I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next in the series.
August turned out to be a busier month than anticipated and I had less time to read than planned but enjoyed everything I did read.
4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
What a refreshing and thought provoking book, Burkeman starts with the idea that the average human only has 4000 weeks of life and then delves into how we spend our time. Increasingly as individuals and society we have become obsessed with productivity and consider busyness as a status symbol, trying to achieve more and more with our finite time. Burkeman argues that instead of making ourselves stressed, anxious and exhausted by our overwhelming and never ending to-do lists we should accept our limitations and focus on creating a meaningful life with the short time we have instead. Having spent my 20s and 30s treating significant milestones and achievements like items on a shopping list, this book really resonated with me as I try to balance the competing demands of my young children with my aging parents, career and hobbies.
Leila and the Blue Fox by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
I have not stopped thinking about Julia and The Shark (reviewed here) since I read it last year, and this spiritual sequel did not disappoint. Leila and the Blue Fox is a poignant and thought-provoking story about a Syrian refugee, Leila, trying to reconnect with her mother, who left her in London, while she went to study animal migration due to climate change. The story of their incredible journey across the Arctic as they follow one determined little fox weaves so many pertinent themes from climate change to animal and human migration as well as families and friendships, this will undoubtedly be one of my end of year favourites.
By Ash, Oak and Thorn by Melissa Harrison
A charming children’s story about three little Hidden Folk (Moss, Burnett and Cumulus) who are all living in a garden after being displaced from their wildflower meadow, forest and pond by humans, when they are forced to embark on an unexpected quest to find others of their kind. This story is reminiscent of The Hobbit and The Borrowers but full of little lessons about nature, conservation and friendship. Whimsical, charming and poignant, though the ending felt like a rushed prelude to the next book.
Regenesis by George Monbiot
A fascinating critique of farming and the challenges of trying of feed 6 billion people without wrecking the planet. Monbiot starts by taking an unflinching look at some of the common practices in farming such as the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertiliser, genetic engineering of crops, the use of antibiotics, the spread of manure and the amount of land required to grow crops to feed livestock, and their impact on the environment, both local and global. He then considers the alternatives from (live)stockfree organic farming, reducing food waste and food redistribution through food banks, no till farming, perennial cereals like Kernza wheat and PR23 rice, and the development of microbial proteins (and other alternatives to meat). An interesting book about food production with some unflinching criticisms of current agricultural methods and some pragmatic alternatives for the future.
I’ve been meaning to write another post about the stories I’ve been reading with my oldest daughter, and decided to focus on some of the wonderful stories by Julia Donaldson we’ve enjoyed together.
The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child
The Gruffalo is a modern classic picture book about a little mouse who out wits all the creatures in a forest that want to eat him, including the fearsome Gruffalo. A wonderful story about how being small doesn’t mean being helpless which is an important message for children.
I’ve written about The Gruffalo’s Child before as it was one of the first stories my oldest daughter showed an interest in and one that she still requests from time to time. In the sequel, the Gruffalo’s daughter ventures into the deep, dark wood to see if she can find the big bad mouse her father warned her about, and once again the cunning little mouse has to outsmart a bigger creature.
Room on the Broom
Another old favourite that my oldest daughter knows off by heart and we take turns to read/recite a line from start to end. Room on the Broom is the story of a witch who is always losing her belongings but who makes friends with all the creatures that help her find them again. I love the themes of kindness, helping each other and teamwork in this story.
The Snail and The Whale
This is another lovely story about a little Sea Snail that wants to travel the world and has the chance to do so on the tail of a humpback Whale. A recurring theme in this and The Gruffalo is that being small doesn’t mean being helpless, and it’s the determined and clever, little snail that ends up saving the whale’s life.
Zog and Zog and The Flying Doctors
A dragon called Zog is learning all the skills he needs to know at dragon school and is repeatedly helped by a girl who turns out to a Princess. In a clever reversal to the usual fairytale, Princess Pearl aspires to be a Doctor instead, which is a really inspiring message for girls in particular.
In the sequel, Zog and the Flying Doctors travel around helping different creatures who all have the chance to return the favour and help Princess Pearl later on. Of all the stories we have by Julia Donaldson, I think these two are my favourites with themes of perseverance, friendship and kindness.
Stickman
Stickman goes out one morning and then finds himself lost and far from home as different people and animals mistake him for a stick and use him for everything from playing fetch with a dog to building a nest. Stickman is a heartwarming story about never giving up no matter how hopeless things seem, but I tend to save this one for Christmas as Santa Claus shows up at the end.
The Princess and The Wizard
Finally, I wanted to mention The Princess and The Wizard as it was one of the first books my oldest daughter chose (no doubt drawn to it by the pink cover with a Princess) after she got her own library card and we’ve borrowed it a few times since. It’s a story about a Princess who is kidnapped by an evil wizard on her 7th birthday and the seven attempts she makes to escape by changing her colour and changing her shape. Another encouraging story about how determination and cleverness can overcome a more powerful enemy.
Lovely and Grateful 
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