The book takes place in the Swiss mountains, in the quaint little town of Casa Rosa, which seems almost untouched by time. And speaking of time, the angel of the story has been watching over the town’s residents for centuries… and it’s been kind of boring!

But all that changes with the arrival of two Americans: Mr. Pomodoro and his daughter, Zola. They’re going to build a boarding school in Casa Rosa — and they’re not afraid to shake things up. Especially Zola, who wears multiple layers of dresses at a time, ties colorful ribbons in her hair, and talks with the angel!

But this story isn’t all sweetness and light. There’s also the issue of a group of orphaned children who sleep in an abandoned barn and steal what they can to get by. Can the angel help them? Zola sure insists on it!

If you’ve read The Unfinished Angel, leave a comment with your review! Or tell me what book settings you’d like to visit!

— Karen

Karen associates Switzerland with chocolate and cheese. Also army watches and clocks. But those things aren’t quite as exciting as chocolate and cheese. At least, that’s what Karen thinks.

More about Karen »

As you might have guessed, our latest podcast is all about poetry and verse. Tune in to hear our own original poems — plus, our performance of a favorite by Shel Silverstein!

Listen now: 

(9:58)
Download the MP3 (4.6 MB)

• “Poetry? Yuck!” — aka our mystery book revealed
• Our poetry book picks (A Kick in the Head and Where the Sidewalk Ends)
• Kidsmomo presents… two up-and-coming poets! (or not)
• An ode to Zac Efron

Also, don’t forget: our new theme is books starring guys! So send us a review of your favorite book starring a guy (or multiple guys) check out these books starring guys!

— Karen and Nancy

We’ve all been there. Your teacher assigns you to write a poem, and you’re like, “Say what?” That’s exactly what happens to the poor guy in Sharon Creech’s Love That Dog — and he is NOT happy about it. Watch our video to see how he deals…

Fun Owl Fact: Their eyeballs are fixed in their sockets, which is why they've evolved to be able to turn their heads all the way around.

I probably thought of this because of D (above). *Hooo... Hoooo...*

It's not just the difference in species of bird (swans and pheasants)... Pick up the books and find out!

And magic, of course. Hagrid is also much less delicate with his pink umbrella.

The main characters being Bone and Squirrel -- not to be confused with an actual bone and squirrel. Hey! Bone and RIBsy... Darn, I wish I caught that earlier.

Submit your book Venn diagram in the comments!

— Nancy

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and as you proably know by now, I loooooove food — so, of course, I start drooling at the mere thought of Thanksgiving dinner. But this year, I won’t be celebrating as usual with my full extended family because my parents and I will be traveling abroad.

To make up for my loss (no stuffing! no corn pudding! no homemade desserts!), I’m turning to a bountiful meal in one of my favorite books instead: Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech.

The book is about 12-year-old Rosie and her best friend — a boy! — Bailey. Rosie and Bailey have grown up together, living on the same street their whole lives, and they’ve always been inseparable. But as you can imagine, it’s not always easy feeling so connected to someone else, and Rosie and Bailey have their share of problems. Enter Granny Torrelli, here to save the day!

In Part 1 of Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Rosie and Granny Torrelli make soup (what a surprise!) while Rosie describes a fight between her and Bailey. In Part 2 of Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, there’s actually no soup. Instead, Rosie and Granny Torrelli AND Bailey make pasta, ribs, meatballs, and sauce, and it’s Granny Torrelli’s turn to tell her story. Of course, the reason for Granny’s story is really to help Rosie and Bailey… Grandparents are sly like that, don’t you think? It’s only to be expected. BUT the parallels between Granny’s story and Rosie and Bailey’s story might surprise you. The end of the book definitely surprised me, and that’s one reason I love it so much. Plus, you know, all the food. [insert image of me, mentally chomping on delicious pasta — nom nom nom...]

Anyway, even if you’ll be sitting down to the traditional turkey this Thanksgiving, it’s still worth checking out Granny Torrelli Makes Soup. You can get started with this excerpt from the beginning of the book!

— Karen

That’s right, it’s time for a little road trip with Kidsmomo! Okay, fine, we’re not actually going anywhere. But our latest podcast is all about books featuring road trips. PLUS, Nancy’s most embarrassing road trip memory and Karen’s worst puns yet!

(15:08)
Download the MP3 (14.5MB)
• Our mystery book characters want to see Plymouth, Karen wants to see leaves, and Nancy doesn’t want anyone to see her face
• Our road trip lit picks (Walk Two Moons and Becoming Naomi Leon)
• A kid-submitted book rec (Call Me Hope)
• PUNS!

And when you’re done listening, don’t forget: our next theme is spooky and supernatural books! So watch our latest Mystery Book Theater video and check out these creepy books perfect for Halloween or any time you want a good scare.

— Nancy and Karen