I delighted in the theme of ‘do not grow up too fast’ and ‘be careful what you wish for.’  The final confrontation with the antagonist at the end felt rushed, but I loved some of the characters Mel meets along the way and the fantastical settings of some of the environments.

I read with the girls Jim Arnosky’s ‘Every Autumn Comes The Bear’. I have always been an avid fan of Jim Arnosky’s work since he was the first children’s book author I met way back in the early 80’s in elementary school and he is local to my area.