Book picks similar to
Isabel Carleton's Year by Margaret Ashmun
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death-grieving
vintage-girls-books
fiction
Dream Spinner
Bonnie Dobkin - 2006
Fatherless, isolated, and betrayed by her best friend, Jori is angry at the world. And now her sister Lisa has disappeared, unable to cope with the changes in her family. Walking home from school one day, Jori stumbles upon a strange house and meets Professor DePris, who shows her a living tapestry woven from dreams. Distrustful of the eccentric old man and the telepathic spider who weaves for him, she resists entering the dream tapestry until she realizes her sister is trapped inside. It's up to Jori to enter the tapestry and rescue Lisa from the monstrous old man who is feasting on her fantasies. But how can Jori convince Lisa to leave this fantastic, yet dangerous, world where anything--even reuniting with their father--is possible?
To Be a Dancer
Elizabeth Bernard - 1987
In the company are Alexandra, the daughter of Russian dancers who have defected; bubbly Kay; deceitful, beautiful Pamela; limber Linda; and Madame Preston. Leah is the most gifted dancer of the group, but she has trouble believing it and almost lets petty jealousies thwart her.
The Eleventh Orphan
Joan Lingard - 2008
When Constable O'Dowd brings her an 11th orphan he found on the streets, Ma Bigsby is reluctant to take her. But there's something about Elfie, it's the first day of a new century and Ma loves a mystery.
First Term at L'Etoile
Holly Willoughby - 2013
The talented trio share the same dreams of super-stardom and become best friends. But will their friendship stand up against Lucifette Marciano's plans to wreck their chances and claim fame for herself?A brand new series from two sisters who are well acquainted with stardom. Holly is a celebrity who is also a role model.
Murder in Mystic Grove
S.F. Bose - 2018
Cramming her Mini Cooper with clothes, cozy mystery books, and her two cats, Snap and Sammy, Liz drives cross country to her family's Bed and Breakfast in Mystic Grove, Wisconsin. Liz has many secrets connected to her work at Worldhead that she can't share with anyone. All she wants now is time to think and a little peace and quiet. However, she also needs a paying job. Soon Liz is working in town as an intern for Sam Nolan Private Investigations. When a longtime Mystic Grove resident is murdered, fear cuts through the village. Liz is shocked when she learns that her divorced mother's boyfriend, Ben, is a key suspect in the murder. When her mother calls to hire Liz and Sam to clear Ben's name, Liz hesitates. Her demanding mother has never asked for her help before. Liz and Sam take the case. They chase down leads, following the evidence as it twists and turns through Mystic Grove and beyond. With all of the lies and deception they find, Liz realizes that Mystic Grove isn't the innocent village she remembered. More threatening events convince Liz that the killer is still in Mystic Grove. Can Liz find the killer before he strikes again?
Mom, You're Fired!
Nancy K. Robinson - 1981
She doesn't dress as nicely as Melissa's mother. And she sings - in public! Tina's lunches even embarrass her. So when she meets a new girl, she tells her that her mother is her babysitter and Tina begins a trail of lies she has to struggle to maintain.
Thunderwith
Libby Hathorn - 1989
She is an intruder in her father's new family, living far away from all that has been familiar. How can she find acceptance and love in this harsh place? Will the hostile Gladwyn and her kids ever really allow Lara to be part of the family she so longs for?In the summer of raging storms Lara Ritchie must fight the storm within herself. It is through the unexpected friendship with a kindred spirit that Lara discovers the strength to face up to her ordeals. But where did he come from? Has he been sent to her for a reason? Who will explain his mystery to her?
Valley of Promises
Bonnie Leon - 2001
However, the colonists meet resistance from earlier homesteaders in the Valley and their leader, Ray Townsend. Laurel, Will’s daughter, who put aside her own desires and dreams to follow her family to Alaska, finds herself torn between two men vying for her love—Adam, a reporter writing a story on the colony’s experiences, and Robert, a colonist who can offer Laurel the stability she needs. For the colony to survive, they must all learn to trust God’s promises.
The Gift of the Wondrous Fig Tree
Magda Szabó - 1965
But Lala is no ordinary fairy child. He shows very little interest in the spells he learns in fairy school and prefers the company of humans, befriending a recently orphaned girl, Beata, and her uncle. The queen hopes her sons behavior will improve after she marries Amalfi, the captain of the palace guard, who already loves the prince as his own.Meanwhile the power-hungry Adderpater, wizard, scholar, and coregent of the land, identifies the cause of the princes strange behavior: Lala has a human heart. The punishment for having a human organ is cruel in Fairyland. Iris will do anything to save her son, even marry the ancient wizard and banish Gigi, the truth-telling unicorn. Will the lights of Fairyland go out forever? Or will Lalas human heart give him the courage to restore justice and happiness?
Hugh Glass, Mountain Man
Robert M. McClung - 1990
A fictionalized biography of the legendary hero of the Old West, who as a fur trapper in 1823, survived an attack by a grizzly bear.
Prep School Confidential
Kara Taylor - 2013
Determined to make it back to New York, Anne couldn't care less about making friends at the preppy Wheatley School. That is, until her roommate Isabella’s body is found in the woods behind the school. When everyone else is oddly silent, Anne becomes determined to uncover the truth no matter how many rules she has to break to do it. With the help of Isabella’s twin brother Anthony, and a cute classmate named Brent, Anne discovers that Isabella wasn’t quite the innocent nerdy girl she pretended to be. But someone will do anything to stop Anne’s snooping in this fast-paced, unputdownable read—even if it means framing her for Isabella’s murder.
The Load of Unicorn
Cynthia Harnett - 1959
Also published as The Cargo of the Madalena.Bendy, whose family runs a scrivener's shop in fifteenth-century London, solves the mystery when the master printer, William Caxton, fails to receive the paper shipped to him.
Little One, Maid of Israel
Bill Harvey - 1976
Ride along with Little One in this version by Bill Harvey as she is carried away and taken to a foreign land. See her bravery as she faces her captors and tells them about God. Sense her helplessness as she is made a slave, and hear her prayers to God even when things are unsure.
The Last Storyteller
Diane Noble - 2004
So when her boyfriend, medical student Sam Wellington, leaves for a fellowship thousands of miles away before he knows she is pregnant, Taite is unwilling destroy his chance of becoming a doctor. Completely unprepared to face parenthood alone, she decides to get an abortion. But without any emotional or financial resources, Taite first seeks solace from her Welsh grandmother, Naini. “Do you remember the stories I once told you, Taite? About the family? … There were some I didn’t tell you…. Some were too hard to tell.”From the moment the disillusioned young woman arrives, Naini knows that time is running out, both for Taite and for herself. The aging woman must make her granddaughter understand the heart and soul of their family’s ancient legacy. But for Taite to discover the passion and faith that can keep love alive, Naini must tell the hard stories, one last time.Interweaving a medieval adventure with the dilemmas of contemporary romance, The Last Storyteller draws ancient grace into modern lives through the powerful telling of stories.