by Kate DiCamillo
Read by Allan Corduner
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Or listen at Libro.fm
Others in the series: The Puppets of Spellhorst
Content: It’s a short book, and there isn’t anything objectionable. It’s in the Beginning Chapter section of the bookstore (grades 1-2) but it could go older.

Lest you think this is a continuation of the puppet story in the first book, it’s not. I think it’s only a “series” because it’s so similar in feel and tone as the first one. There are no continuing characters and you absolutely could treat this as a stand-alone.

Marta is a girl that lives with her mother in the attic of the Hotel Balzaar. Her father is in the war, and has gone missing, and Marta has been told to not make any disturbances. But when an elegant Countess comes to the hotel, Marta finds herself entranced and spends time with the old woman, as she tells her seven stories.

That’s it for the plot. But, much like the first one, the charm is in the telling of the story. Again, like the first one, I think it’s best read aloud/listened to – Corduner does a fantastic job – because it’s not the plot or the characters that drive this book forward, it’s the telling. There’s an anti-war message and a bit about how telling stories gets us through hard times. It’s slight, but it’s enjoyable.

I’m curious to see what DiCamillo does with the next book in the series.