(1) K-3 When six-year-old Marvel, seven siblings, and their newly widowed mother are forced to move into an abandoned tar-paper shack in the woods, it "doesn't seem like much of a home." As the seasons pass, however, Marvel and her family discover the simple treasures their new life offers. Based on Wheeler's grandmother's childhood during the Great Depression, this tender tribute avoids sentimentality in favor of honest, child-centered observations. Wheeler's precise figure-drawing style captures the situation's difficulties.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2019

(4) K-3 Tree-dwelling Miss Maple collects orphan seeds in summer, teaches them "about being a seed," and releases them come springtime so they can "find roots of their own." The mood is twee ("Take care, my little ones, for the world is big and you are small"), but Wheeler is passionate and knowledgeable about her subject, as her peaceful, botanically abundant illustrations attest.

Reviewer: Nell Beram