Recommendations based on "Moominvalley In November"

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • One of the most gifted American writers of the twentieth century brings back ex-basketball player Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom, the late middle-aged hero of Rabbit, Run, who has acquired heart trouble, a Florida condo, and a second grandchild, and is looking for reasons to live.“Brilliant . . . the best novel about America to come out of America for a very, very long time.”—The Washington Post Book WorldRabbit’s son, Nelson, is behaving erratically; his daughter-in-law, Pru, is sending out mixed signals; and his wife, Janice, decides in midlife to become a working girl. As, through the winter, spring, and summer of 1989, Reagan's debt-ridden, AIDS-plagued America yields to that of George Bush, Rabbit explores the bleak terrain of late middle age, looking for reasons to live. The geographical locale is divided between Brewer, in southestern Pennyslvania, and Deleon, in southwestern Florida.

Simon Tofield's award-winning short animated films about an inventive, insistent, and perennially hungry feline and his human, Simon, were instant online hits, garnering millions of YouTube views and being forwarded around the world within months of first being posted. Now, Simon's cat is being wrapped up between the covers of an irresistible illustrated book of black-and-white line drawings. It's the perfect gift for feline-loving friends and family.

Now in paperback, a beautifully illustrated account of of Tove Jansson's life and art The definitive biography of one of the most unique and beloved children's authors of the 20th century, the creator of the Moomins. Tove Jansson (1914-2001) led a long, colourful and productive life, impacting significantly the political, social and cultural history of 20th-century Finland. And while millions of children have grown up with Little My, Snufkin, Moomintroll and the many creatures of Moominvalley, the life of Jansson - daughter, friend and companion - is more touching still. This book weaves together the myriad qualities of a painter, author, illustrator, scriptwriter and lyricist from fraught beginnings through fame, war and heartbreak and ultimately to a peaceful end. Dr Tuula Karjalainen is a Finnish art historian and non-fiction writer who has previously worked as a director of the Helsinki Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki. As the author of Tove Jansson's biography, Karjalainen has become an expert not only on Jansson's writing and art but also on her decades of personal correspondence and journals.

A complete collection of the classic Borrowers stories by Mary Norton. The Borrowers- The Borrowers own nothing at all; they live in the secret places of quiet old houses - behind the mantelpiece, inside the harpsichord, under the kitchen clock. Everything they have is borrowed from the 'human beans', who don't even know they exist. Arrietty's father, Pod, is an expert Borrower - he can scale curtains using a hatpin and bring back a doll's teacup without breaking it. Girls aren't supposed to go borrowing but as Arrietty is an only child her father breaks the rule. But then Arrietty makes friends with a boy - a 'human bean' - and from that moment danger is never far away for, above all else, they must avoid the great disaster of 'being seen'. The Borrowers Afield- The Pod family escape to the fields where their cousins live, but it's a long and dangerous journey. At last they find a new home and adapt to country life. The Borrowers Afloat- Homeless again, Arrietty looks forward to a life away from the dark country cottage, to one full of sunshine. The Borrowers Aloft- The family are now living in the model village of Little Fordham - a complete village tailored to their size. All they have to do is avoid being seen by the visitors, but one night the owner of a rival village comes with a cardboard box ready to catch them . . . The Borrowers Avenged- Pod, Homily and Arrietty have managed to escape with the help of Spiller. They move into the old rectory where they live happily until the Potters come looking for them. After a horrifying encounter in the church, the Potters get their just desserts and the Borrowers can live peacefully once and for all. Poor Stainless- Young Stainless, a Borrower boy, goes missing on a mission to borrow some parsley and an enormous search ensues. Mary Norton was born in 1903 and brought up in a house in Bedfordshire, which was to become the setting for The Borrowers.First published in 1952, The Borrowerswas an imediate success, winning the Library Association's Carnegie Medal. There followed four more Borrowers books- The Borrowers Afield (1955), The Borrowers Afloat (1959), The Borrowers Aloft (1961) and The Borrowers Avenged(1982). Poor Stainlesswas the last Borrowers story Mary Norton wrote. She died in 1992.

This wonderful Ramona Box Set, by Beverly Cleary, contains four books: Ramona the Brave, Ramona the Pest, Beezus and Ramona, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Beezus and Ramona Beezus tries very hard to be patient with her little sister, but four-your-old Ramona has a habit of doing the most unpredictable, annoying, embarrassing things in the world. Sometimes Beezus doesn't like Ramona much, and that makes her feel guilty. Sisters are supposed to love each other, but pesky little Ramona doesn't seem very lovable to Beezus right now. Ramona the Pest Ramona is off to kindergarten, and it is the greatest day of her life. She loves her teacher, Miss Binney, and she likes a little boy named Davy so much she wants to kiss him. So why does Ramona get in so much trouble? And how does Ramona manage to disrupt the whole class during rest time? Anyone who knows Ramona knows that she never tries to be a pest. Ramona the Brave Now that she's six and entering the first grade, Ramona is determined to be brave, but it's not always easy, with a scary new all-by-herself bedroom, her mother's new job, and a new teacher who just doesn't understand how hard Ramona is trying to grow up. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 Ramona feels quite grown up taking the bus by herself, helping big sister Beezus make dinner, and trying hard to be nice to pesky Willa Jean after school. Turning eight years old and entering the third grade can do that to a girl. So how can her teacher call her a nuisance? Being a member of the Quimby family in the third grade is harder than Ramona expected.

This is the first title in the hugely popular series about Ramona Quimby. Ramona's sister, Beezus, tries very hard to be patient, but how many nine-year-old girls have to put up with their embarrassing, annoying little four-year-old sisters? Sisters are supposed to love each other, but pesky little Ramona just doesn't seem very lovable to Beezus. Beverly Cleary is one of America's most popular authors and has won many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. Beezus and Ramona is being published to coincide with the publication of the lastest Ramona title, Ramona's World.

The fifth book in Cathy Woodman's hugely popular Talyton St George series Each book in the Talyton St George series can be read as a standalone novel, but when Cathy first had the idea of writing about a vet practice, she intended it to be a trilogy about two vets - Maz and Alex. Their names are in brackets to show which books feature their story. All the other books have new characters, although Maz and Alex always crop up now and again. Talyton St George, the story so far- Trust Me, I'm a Vet (Maz and Alex) Must Be Love (Maz and Alex) The Sweetest Thing It's a Vet's Life (Maz and Alex) The Village Vet Vets in Love Country Loving The Three of Us (Digital short story, companion to Follow Me Home) Follow Me Home 'Woodman's warmth and wit are set to make her the next big thing in rural romance' - Daily Record 'An utterly compelling read with moments that brought tears to my eyes. I would definitely recommend it' - Candis 'Woodman weaves a beguiling tale grounded in her own experience' - Choice 'Great fun' - Sun

This time Pongwiffy writes her own pantomime script for performance by the Witches' Coven. As usual, things don't quite go according to plan and theatrical chaos ensues.

ADVENTURE LIES BEYOND THE CAT FLAP! Meet your favourite duo: MURRAY AND BUN! Murray is a cat. Murray loves snoozing, fluffy blankets, and peace and quiet. Bun is a bun. Bun loves... EVERYTHING! And together they are unstoppable! SOMETIMES Murray’s enchanted cat flap leads to the garden... but mostly it leads to ADVENTURE! And when Murray and Bun travel through the cat flap and find themselves in a land of KNIGHTS, they are given a VERY IMPORTANT MISSION: to defeat Sir Nasty in a jousting competition, rescue Princess Rubytoes... and try not to get lost in the maze. Perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Bunny vs Monkey, Dog Man, Adventure Mice and Claude, this funny, exciting, and hugely loveable story – brilliantly illustrated throughout – will delight adventure-lovers young and old.

The adventures of Brooklyn boy Hank Wolowitz and his invisible—but not imaginary—friend continue with The Whoopie Pie War, the third book in the Invisible Inkling series by Emily Jenkins.   A truck selling ice-cream whoopie pies sets up right in front of the ice-cream shop belonging to Hank's family, and it's taking away all the shop's business. His dad is going crazy. His mom is furious.   Hank and Inkling, his invisible bandapat, aren't going to take it. The Whoopie Pie War is on! They'll do whatever it takes to beat the whoopie pie truck—unicorn costumes, extreme kindness, an army of supervillains. The illustrated chapter book's mix of silliness, fantasy, strong sense of place, and a realistic family make it a great pick for middle-grade readers.