Librarians are drawn to these books because they do more than entertain. They give young readers a safe, magical place to recognize their biggest feelings and to practice meeting them, which is the very work of emotional growth at this age.
Every Bella Santini story rests on a single idea. A child’s behavior is the expression of what they are feeling, and a good story can hand a child both the words and the steadiness to meet what rises inside them.
“There’s nothing else like this out there.”
She first reached for the series for the young children in her own family during a season of deep loss, then came back for the next book. What stayed with her, from a career spent listening closely to children, was how naturally these stories open a door between parent and child, and how gently they teach a young reader to stay present with a hard feeling rather than run from it.
“A remarkable, heroic protagonist.”
“An engaging, highly educational, and empowering read.”