- The Correspondent
- Hamnet
- Theo of Golden
- 100 Rules for Living to 100; An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life
- Why We Love Football; A History in 100 Moments
- Union Square Kids Unabridged Classic Editions
- Steam Train, Dream Train
By the staff at Covered Treasures
“Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.” —Kate DiCamillo
Here are a few of our favorites for you to consider.
The Correspondent
By Virginia Evans (Crown Publishing Group) $28
Sybil Van Antwerp has used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it throughout her life. Most mornings she sits down to write letters—to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, and to one person to whom she writes often, yet never sends the letter.
Hamnet
By Maggie O’Farrell (Vintage) $19
This is a short, piercing, deeply moving novel about the death of Shakespeare’s 11-year-old son Hamnet (a name interchangeable with Hamlet in 15th century Britain) and the years leading up to the production of his great play. England, 1580; A young Latin tutor—penniless, bullied by a violent father—falls in love with an extraordinary, eccentric young woman, a wild creature who walks her family’s estate with a falcon on her shoulder and is known throughout the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer. Agnes understands plants and potions better than she does people, but once she settles with her husband, William, in Stratford she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a steadfast force in the life of her young husband, whose gifts as a writer are just beginning to awaken when his beloved young son dies from bubonic plague.
Theo of Golden
By Allen Levi (Atria Books), $20
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from or why. His name is Theo. And he asks a lot of questions. Theo visits the local coffeehouse, where 92 pencil portraits hang on the walls, portraits of the people of Golden done by a local artist. He begins purchasing them, one at a time, and putting them back in the hands of their “rightful owners.” With each exchange, a story is told, a friendship born, and a life altered. Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted novel about the power of generosity and the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another.
100 Rules for Living to 100; An Optimist’s Guide to a Happy Life
By Dick Van Dyke (Grand Central Publishing) $29
Dick Van Dyke danced his way into our hearts with iconic roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Now, as he’s about to turn 100 years old, Dick is still dancing and approaching life with the twinkle in his eye that we’ve come to know and love. In 100 Rules for Living to 100, he reveals his secrets for maintaining your joie de vivre and making the most out of the life you’ve been given.
Why We Love Football; A History in 100 Moments
By Joe Posnanski (Dutton), $30
This is a rousing tale of the 100 greatest moments in football lore. Entertaining, enlightening, heartbreaking, hilarious, and always fascinating, these stories of football moments offer a panoramic look across its history. From hidden gems and classic tales to famous moments told from previously unheard perspectives, this is the football book for even its most ardent fans.
Union Square Kids Unabridged Classic Editions
(Union Square Kids) $16.99
From Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, to The Secret Garden and The Story of King Arthur and His Knights, these small hardcover editions of classic favorites, with beautifully decorated page edges, are an appealing way to introduce young readers to some timeless stories.
Steam Train, Dream Train
By Sherri Duskey and Tom Lichtenfeld (Chronicle Kids) $19.99
Out of the midnight darkness comes a mighty train heading to Night Falls station. The Dream Train pulls into the station, and one by one, the train cars are loaded: Polar bears pack the reefer car with ice cream; elephants fill the tanker cars with paints; tortoises stock the auto rack with race cars; bouncy kangaroos stuff the hopper car with balls; and are those dinosaurs lending a hand? Sweet, silly dreams and happy smiles before sleep are in store for little ones who love animals, trains, and imaginative adventure.
Merry Christmas from the staff at Covered Treasures! And until 2026, happy reading.
The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.
Other Book Review articles
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Books for young readers (3/4/2026)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – February is Heart Month (2/4/2026)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Resolve to take care of yourself in 2026 (12/31/2025)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Remembering to be thankful (10/30/2025)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Reading is still fundamental (10/2/2025)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Get lost in a new book (9/3/2025)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Settle in for some Romance (7/31/2025)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Summer fun has begun (7/3/2025)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Let’s get cooking! (6/7/2025)
- Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Celebrating Poetry Month and Earth Day (4/5/2025)
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