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A Spying Eye by Michelle Cox
In this sixth book of the series, while in London, Inspector Clive Howard and Henrietta Von Harmon search for the missing panel of a famous Renaissance painting, of which Hitler’s top men are also in pursuit. Meanwhile, in Chicago, Oldrich Exley threatens to cut off financial support for the Von Harmon brood if Elsie continues with her plan to marry Gunther—a situation full of complications.
Clive and Henrietta’s search takes them to Chateau du Freudeneck in Strasbourg, France—the ancient seat of the Von Harmons and home to three eccentric distant relatives. Things take a deadly turn when several Nazi officers also arrive at the chateau in search of a “valuable item.” Henrietta uncovers a shocking truth, and the pair is forced to trust themselves to a suspicious French servant.
Dear Franklin by Jake Ryan
When her dad undergoes emergency open-heart surgery after collapsing at his gym, it’s pretty much the worst thing that’s ever happened to 11-year-old only child Hannah Brody. In response, she turns to a long-unopened diary that becomes the outlet for her deepest fears and darkest secrets.
To her surprise, she finds that not only is she not alone, but that support can come from the most unexpected places. Funny, richly textured, and moving, Dear Franklin is a story of resilience in the face of near tragedy, an inspiring tale for middle-graders and others on how to cope when confronted with life’s unexpected twists and turns. Written and based on his real-life experience by life coach Jake Ryan, a TikTok sensation at @freejakeryan.
A Very Long Way by Naomi Fryers
Naomi was born a free spirit who loved to entertain people with stories. From knocking about the outskirts of Melbourne’s northern suburbs until the late 1990s to finding herself enrolled at a socially uncomfortable elite private girls’ college, she developed some increasingly problematic coping strategies for life’s challenges. While living it up on Melbourne’s iconic Chapel, her university degree concluded but her buried accumulative volatility did not.
Her challenges eventually culminated in Naomi’s dramatic nervous breakdown. Her rock bottom climaxed with her riding in the back of a divisional van and being locked up in a psychiatric ward. the decade subsequent, however, she learned to embrace a comeback journey that involved personal development, advocacy and ultimately rediscovering her bold and free-spirited inner self.
Can You Spot the Leopard: An African Safari by Karen B. Winnick
Can You Spot the Leopard? is author/artist Karen B. Winnick’s newest picture book, an adventuresome African safari presented through poems and full-color paintings. Readers begin at sunrise, climbing into a jeep for a bumpy ride to view the wondrous animals as they would on a real safari.
All the poems are based on real observations of what animals do in the wild, related in an accessible way. There’s even a sighting, finally, of the elusive leopard, before returning to safari camp under a starry night. At the back of the book, further information is related about each animal. A fun, informational, educational adventure to read and reread. The author is an animal enthusiast and president of the Los Angeles Zoo Commission.
