Superhero squirrel
Kate DiCamillo: Flora and Ulysses (Walker Books 2014) It all started with a vacuum cleaner. One late summer afternoon, Flora was reading her favorite comic book in her room – contrary to her promise to her mother that she would “work to turn her face away from the idiotic high jinks of comics and toward the bright light of true literature”. Her mother is a writer, she writes romance novels – Flora therefore says she should not say anything about “idiotic high jinks”. Returning to the vacuum cleaner – the device in question sucks up a squirrel, which is only saved by Flora’s intervention, but the accident does not pass without consequences: the squirrel gains superpowers. This is the beginning of a special story that will have a great impact not only on Flora’s life, but also on the lives of her family and friends. I have never read anything…
Classics – Wuthering Heights
Emily Bronte: Wuthering Heights (first published in 1847) Everyone knows Wuthering Heights, even those who haven’t read it. Heathcliff and Catherine are such remarkable figures of world literature who have inspired many other artists and have become immortal not only in books but also on the screen. The novel is set in the harsh countryside of the Yorkshire moors in Northern England, where after a few weeks of summer, cold winds dominate the landscape. The environment is not only background, but almost becomes a character in the story. Emily Bronte was born in 1818 as the fifth child of a curate. Of the six siblings, only four survived to adulthood, but three made a lasting impression on the history of world literature. Poverty and poor health conditions took their toll on her health. She died at the age of thirty, but a year before that she had written one of…
Weekend murder
Agatha Christie: The Hollow (originally published in 1946) Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920 and soon brought fame to the author and also to her fictional detective, Poirot. Hercule Poirot investigates in a total of 33 novels and 7 short story collections. Since The Mysterious Affair at Styles, there have been many movie, theater, cartoon and graphic novel adaptations. There was even a video game made about the Belgian detective, and his most famous movie actor is David Suchet. Adaptation of the stories is still happening in the form of movies and series. Thanks to Sophie Hannah, we can see the world’s most famous detective investigating again in book pages. Poirot usually solves crimes with his exceptional mind and understanding of human nature. Here he will need both, as instead of a pleasant invitation to lunch, he is presented with a staged opening…
The most valuable children’s books
Since 1996, AbeBooks has provided a place for independent sellers to sell their new and used books and for buyers looking for rarities. In addition to first editions and dedicated copies, you can also find magazines, photos, maps and letters on the site. The millions of books and other items come from sellers from more than 50 countries. It is a subsidiary of Amazon since 2008 and it has several international sites. At the site, I read about the most valuable children’s books, from which I highlight those that I am familiar with. The Hobbit was first published by Allen & Unwin on 21 September 1937. The story, which marked the beginning of fantasy literature, was initially published in just 1,550 copies. One of these sold for £45,050 on AbeBooks in 2003. More affordable editions are still available on the website, but even these can cost hundreds of pounds. A…
My Bonkers Mum!
Gunnar Helgason: My Bonkers Mum (originally published in 2015 under the title of Mamma Klikk!) You think your mom is a difficult case, just wait until you meet Stella’s… Stella is 12 years old, about to turn 13, and that’s exactly the problem. She wants a perfect 13th birthday party, but she’s afraid her mom will ruin it with some phenomenal idea. She wants to team up with her siblings Palli and Siggi, but they don’t understand what her problem is because they think their mom is funny. Stella wouldn’t leave it to chance anyway, no matter how funny her mom is, she wants to change her to be normal. As I read the book, I realized that there’s nothing wrong with Stella’s mom, she’s very kind and humorous and a real mother tiger. All her fantastic ideas are fueled by pure love. I loved every member of the family,…
The House with Chicken Legs On the Road
Sophie Anderson: The House with Chicken Legs Runs Away (Usborne Publishing 2026) Everyone usually thinks of Baba Yaga, one of the characters of Slavic folk tales, that she is evil. She lives in a house with chicken legs surrounded by a bone fence and people go into the hut but don’t come out. In fact, Baba Yaga is the guardian of the Gate that leads to the afterlife. The dead can return to the stars through this gate. Marinka, the heroine of our story, also lives in such a house with her grandmother, who is the Guardian. However, Marinka does not want to be the next Guardian. She doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life yet, but she’s sure she wants to decide it for herself. First, she wants to make a friend, a real one who stays for more than one night, not like the dead.…
Poirot investigates
Agatha Christie: Poirot’s Early Cases Agatha Christie: Murder in the Mews Agatha Christie: The Harlequin Tea Set Agatha Christie: The Labours of Hercules Agatha Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920 and soon brought fame to the author and also to her fictional detective, Poirot. Hercule Poirot investigates in a total of 33 novels and 7 short story collections. Since The Mysterious Affair at Styles, there have been many movie, theater, cartoon and graphic novel adaptations. There was even a video game made about the Belgian detective, and his most famous movie actor is David Suchet. Adaptation of the stories is still happening in the form of movies and series. Thanks to Sophie Hannah, we can see the world’s most famous detective investigating again in book pages. Poirot is usually associated with the novels Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile, but…
Scarlet saves the Universe (again)
James Davis: Scarlet Saves the Multiverse (HarperCollins Publishers 2026) Scarlet, although she has already saved the world once, still can’t agree with her brother on who should eat from the bowl they inherited from their grandmother… Moreover, as the Defenders of the Universe, they receive two very important distress signals and they don’t even know yet about a much bigger problem. This is a problem that could throw the entire Multiverse off balance. This story is also very cute and funny, with jokes that both adults and children can laugh at. What I liked the most was that in addition to interesting science fiction elements, serious topics were also included, such as anxiety, but we can also learn why it is not worth worrying. The wonderful illustrations were made by Dotty Sutton. And I suspect that Scarlet will soon be needed again to save the world… James Davis currently lives…
In the dentist’s chair
Agatha Christie: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (originally published in 1940) Who wouldn’t be afraid of dentists? Surely even the great Poirot would faint when he had to think about his dentist’s chair. This dentist’s chair links to each other a banker, a mysterious foreign person, an ordinary middle-aged woman, a famous detective and some other common people. Poirot was lucky this time, during his usual dental check-up, only a few cavities needed to be filled, but his dentist was not so lucky because he died at the same day. The case seems to be a suicide, but something is troubling Poirot. I started reading this novel when I was waiting for my dentist. The story was very exciting and, although there were not many suspects, I still couldn’t figure out who done it. And that’s exactly how I like it! The political situation of the period provides the background…
Scarlet, Defender of the Universe
James Davis: Scarlet: Defender of the Universe (HarperCollins Publishers 2025) Scarlet, a nine-year-old girl, is smart and studies well. She feels that she doesn’t get enough attention at home, but of course her little brother is allowed to do anything. But now thanks to him, she saw an ad looking for someone to protect the Universe. She applies for the job. The ad was posted by Jasper, who is the current Defender of the Universe and is very bored alone. Moreover, he has no sense of fear, so a little protection wouldn’t hurt him either. Together they are immediately called to an urgent case. The planet Alpha 4267 KD4 is in danger, or, as its inhabitants call it: Earth. The story is very cute and funny, but it also deals with important topics such as family and the relationship between family members. The plot is very exciting and also logically…