Jesse is hoping to be the fastest runner in the 5th grade this year. So he's out practicing every morning when little sister May Belle comes telling him of a new family moving in. She hopes there is a little girl to play with. When Jesse meets the girl that moves in, she's in his grade so no playmate for May Belle. Leslie, the new girl, is different from the rest of the students. Her family wants to simply their lives. Jesse decides to include her in the races and she changes everything for him.

I enjoyed this story. I saw the movie first and remembered the ending somewhat but not the details. I did not remember I would need practically a box of tissues for the ending. I loved Jesse. His was not an easy life. Leslie, his neighbor, brightened his world as they went off to Terabithia and created their own world. Jesse also sees his father in a different light because of Leslie.

What a wonderful book! Full of imagination but bound in reality. I'm glad I read it even if I am an adult.

The Winter Baby - Sheila Newberry,Bolind...

Wren returns to Crowley and  she goes to her sister’s Bennie’s record store and goes to her sister. Bennie was the bright spot in Wren’s life. Wren throws herself into Bennie’s wren throws herself into Bennie’s arms. Wren had been gone for three years when Bennie asks Wren how long she would be there she answered she didn’t know why she just felt she should be there. The only communication between Bennie and Wren had been random postcards from Wren and Bennie had no way to get a hold of Wren.It was so strange and familiar being back. Wren thought she would never step foot back in Crowley  again. Wren thought she could handle anything but all it took was one possessive abusive boyfriend- Dylan- to show her just how little she was. Bennie’s employee is Preston who is gorgeous in Wren’s opinion but he took over Wren’s job and apartment but he was odd. When emptying her bag her bag Wren finds a gps tracker. Wren tries to not think of Dylan knowing where she is or him coming there. Preston is such a mystery to Wren. Wren does get Preston to take her to  Franklin with him as she needed some essentials to add to her wardrobe. Wren thought she saw Dylan but when she looked again he wasn’t there. Preston needs order and control as he has a severe case of OCD and struggles with life everyday. Even though Wren is more of a tornado then the order and control Preston needs to get through the day yet somehow she brought some peace to Preston. But Preston did like Wren and did like being around her and slowly grew feelings for her. Wren was attracted to Preston yet she accepted the way he was and didn’t try to change him.

I enjoyed this book, At times it dragged some for me. It was definitely a different type of book. I did like the plot. I also thought this was well written. I really liked how the romance built slowly and built especially with Preston and wren being such opposites I also really liked how Wren grew as the book went on. I loved Preston's poems at the end of the chapters it gave us insight to what he was thinking and feeling. I also loved how Wren didn’t try to change Preston just accepted him. I love the characters and the ins and outs of this story and I recommend.

The Winter Baby - Sheila Newberry,Bolind...

Soon after dawn the young woman left Pilgrim’s Way and the Downs. But she got lost again. It was late afternoon by the time she came to the junction of five roads. The young woman took one of the unmade roads and saw a farmhouse in the distance- home- she was almost home. Then she realized she was being followed by a man she tried to run and fell.The young woman was so weary she didn’t try to get up  or cry out. She had reached her journey’s end.  Then the man takes his cap off. The young woman wonders if it is an angel. He offered to help then picks her up and starts toward the farmhouse then he yells to his mother they had a visitor.  The woman introduced herself as Jessie Mason. Then Jessie said the man who helped her was Jessie's youngest son Danny.  The young woman said her name was Kit then said Kathleen The woman was going to clean Kathleen up and put salve on and bandage her feet.  When Jessie removed the young woman's long skirt her legs were bruised as were her arms  as if someone had restrained her. There were also raised red welts on Kathleen’s back. Jessie also knew Kathleen was very pregnant Jessie’s daughter Mary had died about this young woman's age but now she had another young woman to look after and maybe she would stay. Kathleen was now in England. A vet had come to look at the animals. But they asked him to look at Kathleen as he had once been a human doctor before he had ran from his country and ended up in England, the man was Jewish. The doctor said Kathleen was between seventeen and eighteen. The doctor felt Kathleen was eight months pregnant. Also Kathleen had suffered blows to her head and they seemed to have affected her memory. Kathleen found a pile of clothes on the chair that Jessie had left her- that had been Mary’s. Also there was some baby clothes as Mary had a late miscarriage when Mary was about six years old. Then Kathleen went to the bundle she had been carrying and looked through it. There was: a framed picture of Kathleen’s parents, a prayer book, a rosary, her birth certificate and her parents marriage certificate in a brown envelope. She also found her mother’s wedding ring from her first marriage on a silver chain. A small package of love letters with a red silk rose, the letters had been written by her father when her parents were courting.Then  there was a ragdoll Kathleen had dearly loved when she was a child. Last there was a leather pouch with her mother’s brush and comb. When Jessie asked Kathleen about her parents, Kathleen teared up so Jessie dropped the subject and helped Kathleen downstairs. Jessie offered to let Kathleen stay until after the baby was born if not longer. Then Kathleen went into labor and clung to Danny. Kathleen had a baby girl and named her Heather Mary- after her mom and Jessie’s daughter. Danny told the midwife he was the father but Danny already had Marion and they had grown up together and the last year they had been talking of a future together. Danny and Sam are both attracted to Kathleen.

I enjoyed this book a lot. . I loved how Jessie took in a stranger who had been misused and was pregnant and couldn’t remember a lot. I was glad when Marion and Danny married as they had already talked about it. I also loved how Jessie considered Heather her grandchild right away and continued to let Kathleen stay. This was very realistic of the time as far as I am concerned. It drag for me at times. But this was a very good historical novel. I did like the plot also. I liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.

The Winter Baby - Sheila Newberry,Bolind...

Soon after dawn the young woman left Pilgrim’s Way and the Downs. But she got lost again. It was late afternoon by the time she came to the junction of five roads. The young woman took one of the unmade roads and saw a farmhouse in the distance- home- she was almost home. Then she realized she was being followed by a man she tried to run and fell.The young woman was so weary she didn’t try to get up  or cry out. She had reached her journey’s end.  Then the man takes his cap off. The young woman wonders if it is an angel. He offered to help then picks her up and starts toward the farmhouse then he yells to his mother they had a visitor.  The woman introduced herself as Jessie Mason. Then Jessie said the man who helped her was Jessie's youngest son Danny.  The young woman said her name was Kit then said Kathleen The woman was going to clean Kathleen up and put salve on and bandage her feet.  When Jessie removed the young woman's long skirt her legs were bruised as were her arms  as if someone had restrained her. There were also raised red welts on Kathleen’s back. Jessie also knew Kathleen was very pregnant Jessie’s daughter Mary had died about this young woman's age but now she had another young woman to look after and maybe she would stay. Kathleen was now in England. A vet had come to look at the animals. But they asked him to look at Kathleen as he had once been a human doctor before he had ran from his country and ended up in England, the man was Jewish. The doctor said Kathleen was between seventeen and eighteen. The doctor felt Kathleen was eight months pregnant. Also Kathleen had suffered blows to her head and they seemed to have affected her memory. Kathleen found a pile of clothes on the chair that Jessie had left her- that had been Mary’s. Also there was some baby clothes as Mary had a late miscarriage when Mary was about six years old. Then Kathleen went to the bundle she had been carrying and looked through it. There was: a framed picture of Kathleen’s parents, a prayer book, a rosary, her birth certificate and her parents marriage certificate in a brown envelope. She also found her mother’s wedding ring from her first marriage on a silver chain. A small package of love letters with a red silk rose, the letters had been written by her father when her parents were courting.Then  there was a ragdoll Kathleen had dearly loved when she was a child. Last there was a leather pouch with her mother’s brush and comb. When Jessie asked Kathleen about her parents, Kathleen teared up so Jessie dropped the subject and helped Kathleen downstairs. Jessie offered to let Kathleen stay until after the baby was born if not longer. Then Kathleen went into labor and clung to Danny. Kathleen had a baby girl and named her Heather Mary- after her mom and Jessie’s daughter. Danny told the midwife he was the father but Danny already had Marion and they had grown up together and the last year they had been talking of a future together. Danny and Sam are both attracted to Kathleen.

I enjoyed this book a lot. . I loved how Jessie took in a stranger who had been misused and was pregnant and couldn’t remember a lot. I was glad when Marion and Danny married as they had already talked about it. I also loved how Jessie considered Heather her grandchild right away and continued to let Kathleen stay. This was very realistic of the time as far as I am concerned. It drag for me at times. But this was a very good historical novel. I did like the plot also. I liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.