Skip to main content

Review: The Peach Thief

Image
By
The Peach Thief
By Linda Joan Smith
Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2025. 374 pages.

This entertaining historical fiction set in England in the 1850s totally consumed me. A young girl who is down on her luck wants to steal a peach from a local garden. While in the process, she gets caught! The head gardener mistakes her for a boy and puts her to work in the garden to make up for the crime she committed.

Scilla thinks she will be scrubbing pots for just a few days. The workload is heavy, but Scilla rises to the occasion. The longer she stays, the more Scilla feels like she might actually fit in. Most shockingly, she finds herself wanting to be part of the crew that works in the lavish garden. However, there are a few complications that get in the way. Can she actually make amends for the crime that landed her here in the first place? Will people be willing to overlook her standing in society and accept her into their family? If people discover she is really a girl, will that jeopardize any chances she has to fitting in? 

I loved following Scilla on her adventurous journey to try to fit in and to find a place for herself. Multiple times while reading, I had to put the book down and take a few minutes to process all that was happening to Scilla and the people she comes to rely on for friendships. I would recommend this book for people who like a historical fiction, complicated friendships, redemption stories, or adventure. It left me hopeful and happy!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Mixed-Up Owl

By
The Mixed-Up Owl  Written by Marzena Sowa Illustrated by Joanna Lorno New York : Hippo Park, 2025. Picture Book. When Owl can't sleep at night, he heads off to see if any forest animals can help him understand why, and even more so, how to fix it!  Unfortunately, all the animals Owl runs into at night are asleep and all the animals he meets during the day are too rude or too busy to answer him.  Will Owl give up or will a chance meeting with a grumpy hedgehog provide all the solutions Owl was looking for? The premise of an owl trying to stay awake during the day because all the other animals around him do is very fun. Kids who know that owls are nocturnal will get a kick out of Owl's confusion and be quick to try to tell him what's going on.  Readers who don't know many facts about owls (or nocturnal animals in general) will get a brief introduction to the different ways animals sleep. The illustrations are charming, especially cute Owl and his expressive body langua...
Post a Comment
Read more

Display: Be A World Traveller

By Suzanne
Real Castles Around the World Written by Kaitlyn Duling Vero Beach, Florida : Rourke Educational Media, 2025. Informational. 48 pages Take a trip around the world as you read about the most impressive castles ever built! Explore fierce fortresses, castles that have inspired stories, uniquely colorful castles, and the history behind them all as you Travel to Real Castles Around the World! Part of the Travel to Children s Book Series, this 48-page nonfiction book explores castles both past and present, the kings that inhabited them, and knights that fought to protect them! Lower the drawbridge, cross the moat, and travel to real castles from all around the world as you learn about our magical history with fun-filled facts and vibrant photos. History Book Features: Before- and after-reading activities. Extension activity. Glossary About Rourke Educational Media: We proudly publish respectful and relevant nonfiction and fiction titles that represent our diverse readers, and are designed to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Grounded for All Eternity

By
Grounded for All Eternity By Darcy Marks New York : Aladdin, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 2022. Fiction. 375 pgs. Malachi, Crowley, and Lilith are just your average, normal, middle-school kids. That is, if you consider living in the suburbs of Hell and having black feathered wings normal. They want to enjoy their school free vacation, but Hell is on lock down after the soul of Reverend Samuel Paris, leader of the 1693 Salem witch trials, escapes. Malachi and his friends travel to Earth, looking for some fun, but accidentally bring the Reverend's soul with them to modern day Salem, Massachusetts. Chaos ensues, and Malachi meets many new types of characters, such as witches, angels, and humans. Malachi and his friends must work together to return Reverend Sam's soul to Hell, or else all of Salem will be destroyed. Or worse, be grounded for all eternity.  Read this book for the ultimate Halloween experience, and if you want to revisit the ...
Post a Comment
Read more