Welcome to Litsy!

Kelly Barnhill writes the most magical stories! This one felt a little too real sometimes (for me, as an adult living through eerily similar times), but it is all the better for it! The message is beautiful, timely, and timeless: be kind.

This was not the kind of children's read I was expecting and not in a good way. There was a lot of “lecturing“ I felt from the author. Made this a wee bit stressful of a read.

2.5 ⭐️s
While Barnhill's tale has a beautiful, fantastical plot and characters that are well-developed and engaging, Barnhill cannot stray from her characteristic sermonizing tone and need to push a political agenda behind her stories that would be more powerful without these things.

@sblbooks tagged me with #Bestof2023sofar and so I‘ve been trying to decide on my #midyearfaves. The above feels right but is of course subject to change. 😆

Tagging my two IRL friends @Tea_and_Starstuff and @MommyWantsToReadHerBook as well as my #AuldLangSpine match this year @Karisimo —what are your favorite 2023 reads so far?

This sweet book was surprisingly stressful to read! The core idea is adorable - in a small town, both the ogress and the orphans are lovable outsiders. The main plot beats, though, are about anti-intellectualism, demagogue politicians, and how hate and bigotry spread. The language is charming and fairy-tale like, and book ended well, but it was not a relaxing read. Recommended, but go in expecting some hard topics in the charm.

Belated review: I read this for #AuldLangSpine a little over a month ago, then promptly recommended it to my book group, and we discussed it in April. I loved this MG fairytale-like story about a town that grows suspicious & selfish under a selfish, greedy leader—and then re-learns what it means to be a neighbor. The turns of the story may have been easily-anticipated, but the journey was delightful. Thank you to @Karisimo for another great pick!

So good! Glad to see a book of Kelly‘s nominated for the National Book Award. This story was a tale for our times about what happens when greedy, selfish people take away the livelihood of a community and how that can turn into fervent distrust of your neighbor. A pointed allegory about our current political situation. Of course, books are a big part of the solution! Just lovely, and thought provoking.

Middle grade version!
🔥Words on Fire by Jennifer Nielsen
📡Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
🍞 The Patron Thief of Bread by Lindsay Eager
🗺 The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
🧌The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill

#littenswanttoknow
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This #lettero is a gem! Similar appeal as The Girl Who Drank the Moon, but a unique story and setting!

#AlphabetGame
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Dr. Hirsch once said, and I'm sure he learned it somewhere, "wisdom is seeing the edge of what you know and reaching for questions that take you toward what you don't know." While reading the Ogress we suffered 3 mass shootings. It was a lovely book to visit, but I frequently had to put it down. I can't read and grieve at the same time. I hope to visit Stone in the Glen again.

I normally don't read graphic novels, but I think this book demands some illustrations.

What does it mean to be a good neighbor? What is the impact of simple kindnesses? These are the two questions at the very core of this lovely book. If you love Barnhill's, The Girl Who Drank the Moon, I think you will also enjoy this one! Beautifully written, whimsical, and poignant! 📚🌺

Enjoying some morning reading before heading into work! 😺💕📚 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #rumpel

Up next! 📖♥️ I must be on a Kelly Barnhill kick, since I just finished her new adult book and now I'm moving on to her newest middle grade book! 📚💕

“this broken world isn‘t going to fix itself” // a lovely tale about the importance of community and taking care of one another.

Slow pacing. Easy tell where plot is going. Yet written so beautifully. This town was happy, once, before the library burned down. One act of bad caused the town to get worse md worse. But. One act of kindness fought to bring it all back. I really felt these orphans desire to do goo, to help their town. Same with the Orgress just wanting neighbors. She made me cry, near the end. The crows are funny addition, they‘re good showing changing thinking

No act of kindness goes unpunished.

New class read aloud.

This is such a sweet children's fantasy. A beloved, kindly ogress is accused of a crime when a child goes missing in a small village, leading to a group of orphans to clear her name. From Newberry award winner Kelly Barnhill comes this Howl's Moving Castle-esque type of storytelling.

This was more internal and slower than I think I was expecting. It has Barnhill's excellent voice, but can read a little heavy-handed at times. Still, it is the strongest when paying attention to the emotional lives of the orphans, and I think it's going to offer validation for a lot of kids dealing with the world not being good all the time in different ways. https://youtu.be/rCn28MqEMNg

I never win these. I really hope I win this time. I'm looking forward to reading this new book. 😀

“Neighbors cared for one another once upon a time. Back when it was a lovely town.” I have barely started and Kelly Barnhill is always cutting deep.

Inspired to write into reality the neighborly love she found lacking in our current climate, Barnhill writes a warm, magical world of compassion and friendship into being. A little overly descriptive in places but sure to warm your cold, cold heart. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an advance reader copy. Release date: March 8.