Book Review: The Little Bee by Nicola Killen

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The Little Bee  by Nicola Killen  is a children's picture book about a girl name Ollie who follows a bee to a magical, secret garden. But, the next day, the beautiful garden was gone, and the little girl misses her new friends. What will she do? This beautiful book has an expected publication date of May 5, 2026. I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Beach Lane Books for approving my request for a digital Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Little Bee . I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. Nicola Killen wrote such a beautifully worded story that I found myself immersed in the story, and I'm not even the target audience. It's a charming tale that should encourage children to explore nature and make them want to plant their own secret garden.  Equally beautiful were the illustrations. I found myself taking the time to actually look a the pictures as I read. It's a great story to read   at bedtime  with ch...
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Book Review: The Museum of Lost and Found by Leila Sales

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the running bibliophile's book review the museum of lost and found leila sales
The Museum of Lost and Found by Leila Sales is a novel for middle grade children about friendships and how they change.  When Vanessa loses her friendship with Bailey, she's understandably upset and seeks understanding on what she did wrong.  In the process, Vanessa discovers an abandoned museum and ends up making new friends.

A big thank you to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Museum of Lost and Found by Leila Sales.  I was excited to be approved to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Leila Sales does an amazing job of telling a story about friendships and how they can fall apart, especially in the transition between elementary school and middle school.  At that age, it can feel like the end of the world, and it can be difficult to figure out what went wrong.  The author explores this situation in a gentle way that can encourage children to take the initiative to have a conversation with their former friend and teaching them that they may or may not like the end result.  The story goes on to show the reader that it's okay to make new friends and strengthen other old friendships.

The sub-plot deals with having a family member in the military who is deployed and the emotions the family goes through when that member may have died.  This is another great teaching moment for children to have empathy for others because you never know what that person may be going through.

the running bibliophile's book review the museum of lost and found leila sales
Even though I'm not the intended audience for The Museum of Lost and Found, I found myself invested in the storyline.  It's relatable to adults because who hasn't had a friendship dissolve before their eyes?  I loved the character development of the main character, Vanessa.  The other characters weren't quite as developed as Vanessa, but that is okay because the point of the story is to be able to relate to what the main character is going through.

I think this is an important book for children to read as well as their parents so they can have a discussions afterwards.  I'd even go as far to say this should be required reading for fourth or fifth graders.

Five out of five stars is what I gave The Museum of Lost and Found by Leila Sales.  This heart warming and relatable book is definitely a must read for children between the ages of eight through twelve.  Older children and adults would enjoy the story as well.

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