White Stallion of Lipizza

White Stallion of Lipizza, by Marguerite Henry

61/60 | Started 11.19.25 • Finished 12.10.25 | 5 stars

Historical fiction for children at its finest. Coupled with Wesley Dennis's lovely illustrations, this story appealed to Carolyn's love of animals. Main character Hans dreams of being a rider in the famed school of riding in Lipizza. Through perseverance, and in part due to the generosity of others, Hans is able to fulfill his lifelong quest. Readers will learn about the history of show riding and even horses in general while diving into Hans's story. A winsome read that Carolyn highly recommends.

The God of the Woods

The God of the Woods, by Liz Moore

60/60 | Started 11.19.25 • Finished 12.07.25 | 4.5 stars

This one went around on all the must-read lists, including Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2024 minimalist summer reading guide. Then it was selected for book club! The unusual setting of the Adirondack Mountains added some charm to this otherwise moody, sort of dark novel. The story centers around the disappearance of a camper from Camp Emerald, which eerily mirrors the disappearance of a young boy years prior. Much of the action takes place from the perspective of one of the detectives on the case, who is very easy to root for as she struggles to overcome her upbringing. Some of the events were a little contrived or unbelievable, but I definitely didn't see the ending coming. Would recommend; we'll see what the book club feels about it next month.

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective

Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective, by Donald J. Sobol

59/60 | Started 11.13.25 • Finished 11.19.25 | 5 stars

"This book is about Leroy Brown, aka Encyclopedia Brown, who makes a detective agency. He solves problems for grown-ups and kids. My favorite one was The Case of the Diamond Necklace in which Encyclopedia gets the case from his dad and discovers that Miss Stark was pretending to be a thief."

Carolyn, age 8

This definitely started a love for this series. I've been disappointed that our local library only carries a few hard copies, the rest being ebooks, but she's plowed through what's available!