Book picks similar to
Kai the Dancing Butterfly by Crystal Z. Lee


multicultural-interest
children-s-book
picture-book
eco-themed

Build Me Up Buttercup


Bella Osborne - 2018
    And when she receives an accidental text from a mystery man, could it be the new start she needs? Or someone she really shouldn't be falling for?Anna’s neighbour Sophie is a stressed-out mum-of-two with a third on the way. Her husband is a constant frustration, and their children are a regular source of newly-invented swear words and unidentifiable sticky surfaces.Luckily, Anna and Sophie have each other – and Wildflower Park proves to be a sanctuary as they map out a path to find the happiness they both deserve… Fantastically funny, this irresistibly heart-warming novel will charm fans of Milly Johnson and Jill Mansell.

The Rector's Daughter


Jean Fullerton - 2019
    Charlotte has an understanding with Captain Nicolas Paget - every inch the gentleman - who she expects someday to marry. But then she meets Josiah Martyn, and everything changes...A driven and ambitious Cornish mining engineer, and the complete opposite to Captain Nicholas, Josiah has come to London to help build the first tunnel under the river Thames. When unpredictable events occur at the inauguration of the project, Josiah and Charlotte are suddenly thrown into an unexpected intimacy.But not everyone is happy with Charlotte and Josiah growing closer. As friends turn to foes, will they be able to rewrite the stars and find their happy ever after, although all odds seem to be stacked against them...?

Keep You By My Side: a novel about love, lies and family


Callie Langridge - 2018
    But secrets can only be kept for so long.Follow three generations of a family from war-torn London, to the permissive 60s and liberated 80s. Gertie, Rose and Abi live through joy, tragedy and heartache as they navigate complicated mother-daughter relationships and learn the importance of friends and finding love. When circumstances force them under the same roof, secrets begin to unravel and promises made in love threaten to tear them apart.How far would you go to protect the people you love? What everyone is saying about Keep You By My Side: "a book about, love, friendship, and the reverberating echoes of the past. I did not want to put it down and now that I’ve finished it, I am bereft" Lisa Timoney - reviewer  "From page one this book had me hooked." Gail Atkins - reviewer "an endearing story, tying together generations of a typical family, with quirks and heroics, traditions and secrets, all the things that make life whole."  Bonnye Reed Fry - reviewer  Callie Langridge is the best-selling author of A Time to Change. Keep You By My Side is an emotional and heart-warming tale, which will appeal to fans of books like Postcards from a Stranger by Imogen Clark and Sea of Memories by Fiona Valpy.

A Little Piece of Paradise


T.A. Williams - 2021
    with a catch When Sophie’s uncle leaves her a castle in the Italian Riviera in his will, she can’t believe her luck. The catch? She and her estranged sister, Rachel, must live there together for three months in order to inherit it. Having worked in Rome for four years, Sophie’s excited to revisit to Italy, even if it reignites memories of a cheating ex who soon learns of her return and wants to rekindle their spark. Sophie realises that distance does indeed make the heart grow fonder – but for her friend back home, Chris, who she discovers is more to her than just a friend.With the clock ticking, can Sophie and Rachel stick it out and heal old wounds, or are the sisters destined to go their own way at the end of the three months? And does Chris feel the same way about Sophie as she does for him?A beautiful story of romance and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Alex Brown and Lucy Coleman.

Flying Duo


Zoe May - 2021
    But now that she's in India, Rachel is going with the flow, or at least trying to...Rachel's visa is running out and it's time to decide whether her relationship with Seb is a holiday romance or built to last.The pair embark on a trip to Nepal for an Everest base camp trek, but will their relationship survive this gruelling expedition or is it time to part ways?

Down with the Dance


C.T. Walsh - 2019
    While Austin's brain power is unmatched, it appears as if his brother got all the athletic gifts and the family butt-chin, meaning their parents love Derek more than Austin, or so it seems. Join Austin on his journey through the tumultuous waters of middle school as he navigates the swampy and undeodorized hallways and explores the depths of the cafeteria's seafood surprise. Oh, and someone is plotting to take down the Halloween Dance, the one that Austin has his sights set on, so he can take Sophie Rodriguez, a girl way out of his league, but who doesn't seem to know it.  Can he stay one step ahead of the new principal who has it out for him? Will Austin figure out who the perpetrators are? Will he save the dance in time? Will he wear a diaper on a stakeout?  This first in a planned series of twelve will have you ROFLing like you never have before.  The funny and fast-paced nature of this series is meant for middle grade and early young adult readers.   Beware! This series has the tendency to turn reluctant readers into eager ones.

The Ticklemore Tattler


Liz Davies - 2021
    Up until now, she’s been concentrating on running the local newspaper and raising her daughter.But all that is about to change when Juliette is informed that the Ticklemore Tattler is to fold and that she’ll be out of a job. She begins to wonder whether she can buy the newspaper and try to make a go of it herself.Aware that she needs some advice she contacts Oliver Pascoe, little knowing that when her old colleague re-enters her life, his help isn’t the only thing she wants him for!As she begins to fall in love, however, what she doesn’t realise is that Oliver has something he’s keeping from her.

Andy Warhol


Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara - 2021
    Little Andy was the tiniest and palest child of the Warholas, a humble couple from Slovakia who lived in Pittsburgh. Sketchbook glued to his hand, he loved every minute of drawing, but he was too shy to show his work to others, even to his family! As an adult he got a chance to publish his first illustration for a glamorous magazine. He turned his attention to the ordinary, like soup cans he ate from for lunch every day. He showed the world that the ordinary objects could POP, and founded a cultural movement. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the inspiring artist’s life.Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream. This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!

Starting Over at Primrose Woods


Jill Steeples - 2022
    She has the home of her dreams – a picturesque cottage just walking distance from her beloved Primrose Woods. She has a job she loves, great friends, and most exciting of all – a wedding dress hanging in her wardrobe ready to be worn. So why does she feel so lonely… Lizzie Baker loves her job at the Treetops café in Primrose Woods, and she loves being a grandmother even more. If only she could face her fear of flying and see her granddaughter in person rather than on a screen.Rhianna West is head over heels for her boyfriend Jay. She just wishes he could see her more regularly. His excuses are starting to wear thin, and Rhi’s dreams for the future are beginning to fade.Can the fun and friendships, the picture-perfect scenery and rolling seasons in Primrose Woods help the women find the happy endings they deserve? After all anything is possible if you dare to dream…An absolute treat of a book. Let Jill Steeples whisk you away into the beautiful countryside for the perfect feel-good comfort read. Just right for fans of Cathy Bramley, Heidi Swain and Julie Houston.

The New Friend


Alex Kane - 2021
    Growing up surrounded by drugs and alcohol, getting into trouble as a teen, she’s now in her late-twenties and has turned her life around.Until the fateful night that sees her imprisoned for 10 months.She’s hit rock bottom … but unexpectedly forges a bond with cellmate Roxanne McPhail that lasts beyond the prison walls.Now both women are free, and Arabella is excited about the future with boyfriend Eddie, with Roxanne at her side.But Arabella doesn’t know the truth about her new best friend; about Roxanne’s reputation as the head of Glasgow gangland, about the violence in Roxanne’s past.She doesn’t know that Roxanne has plans for Arabella that might lead her into some very dangerous places.In this dirty game, Arabella is going to have to learn you can’t always trust those closest to you…A gritty, utterly addictive thriller set in Scottish gangland - fans of Roberta Kray and Jacqui Rose won't be able to put it down.Readers can't get enough of Alex Kane's gritty gangster thrillers:‘I read this book in one night and all I have is 3 words. Oh my god.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘What a fantastic book! Such an intense, fast paced read from the first page’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘What a rollercoaster ride…it grips you and you can't put it down. I loved it.’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘What a page turner this is… you never want it to end… A great, gritty, UK gangland thriller’ ☆☆☆☆☆ Reader Review‘A dark and gritty crime thriller that kept me hooked from the first page.' Casey Kelleher, author of No Fear and Mine'A gripping read that got under my skin. Alex Kane writes one hell of a villain.’ Gemma Rogers, author of Stalker and Reckless

The Last Bus to Wisdom


Ivan Doig
    

Princess Kevin


Michaël Escoffier - 2020
    His costume is perfect but he knows that the best costumes are authentic. So he is outraged that none of the knights will partner with him and complete the look. Things don't go quite a smoothly as he planned. Next year, there is only one thing for it. He will just have to be something even more fabulous. This is a heartwarming and funny story about imagination, diversity and persevering at expressing your fabulous self.

After Jessica


Morgen Bailey - 2016
    As well as identifying her body, her brother Simon then has to wind up her affairs but gets more than he bargains for. Who is Alexis, and why are Veronica and Daniel searching for her? Why is there a roll of cash in Jessica’s house, and what’s the connection between his sister and Alexis?

Bad Girls


Gemma Rogers - 2021
    No Crime. No Time.Can you ever escape your past?Fresh out of prison, Jess Strickland has just six months’ probation to serve until she's free to get on with the life, she left behind 4 years ago.With few options available, Jess takes a job at Bright’s’, an industrial laundry company alongside other ex-cons, all eager to keep their noses clean.Here she finds an ally in Karla but soon learns her new boss Terry, is not all he seems.Realising she’s no safer on the outside Jess refuses to be a victim any longer.How far will she go to avoid going back to prison?

The Brighton Guest House Girls


Lesley Eames - 2019
    Thea, Anna and Daisy forge an unbreakable friendship through adversity. Thea's loathsome stepbrother is trying to trick her out of her inheritance of her parents' beautiful house in the seaside town of Brighton by means of a Will which Thea believes to be forged. He gives her three months in which to leave. Afterwards she will face destitution. Anna is pregnant and grieving, her explorer fiancé lost at sea. Her violent father drives her from the family home in the back streets of London's Bermondsey and her fiancé's upper-class relatives cruelly reject her. Daisy is in search of independence, running from a man she doesn't want to marry. Together the three girls set up Thea's home as a guest house and embark on a mission to outwit her stepbrother by proving his fraud. In a race against time, nothing will turn out to be quite as it seems.