Karen Cushman is an author I will always read, although I wouldn’t put her in my top 10 list. Her books are enjoyable yet definitely for 4th-grade or older.
I enjoyed Alchemy and Meggy Swan – a realistic look at the down and out in Elizabethan England.
Meggy’s parents both reject her. Her village hates her because she is crippled. Understandably she has a bad attitude – which slowly changes when she is thrown unceremoniously into a small, dark house in London and must learn to fend for herself.
She notices the hurting and forgotten and surprises herself by making friends, despite some ugly words and attitudes.
The audiobook is particularly enjoyable – read by one of the best narrators in the business, Katherine Kellgren.
Recommended for ages 9 and up.
Cultivating Readers 
Leave a Reply