Bob

Reach for this book when your child is navigating the transition between the magical thinking of early childhood and the concrete responsibilities of growing up. It is a perfect choice for children who feel a sense of 'forgotten' wonder or who are struggling to reconcile who they used to be with who they are becoming. The story follows ten-year-old Livy as she returns to her grandmother's farm in Australia and discovers Bob, a small green creature she left in a closet five years ago and completely forgot. As Livy and Bob work together to figure out where he came from, the story explores deep emotional themes of loyalty, the ethics of making and keeping promises, and the quiet loneliness of not knowing where you belong. It is a gentle, whimsical mystery that validates the feeling of being slightly out of step with the world. Parents will appreciate the respectful depiction of the granddaughter-grandmother relationship and the way the book handles the 'magic' of childhood with both sincerity and a touch of sophisticated melancholy.