Book cover of The Raft

Book description

This gorgeous picture book celebrates the wonders of summer adventures, imagination, and the natural world.

Nicky is convinced that his summer with his grandmother in the Wisconsin woods is going to be the worst summer ever. She cooks food that he doesn’t like, there’s an art studio where her living…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Raft as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I had the great pleasure of working with Jim LaMarche, and I know him to be a caring, thoughtful, and generous human being, in addition to being a fantastic illustrator. All of those qualities come through in this book, which is my favorite among the books he has authored and illustrated.

Based on his own childhood summers in rural Wisconsin, this book tells the story of a young boy who builds a strong relationship with the natural world with the help of an idiosyncratic grandmother. She is the type of grandparent I would like to be, and Jim was very…

A perfect book to celebrate summer and the magic of nature. Nicky is not eager to vacation at his grandmother’s country home. But nature and the animals have a different plan. And when the two find each other among the banks of a peaceful river, a delightful friendship unfolds. I love this book for its beauty, sense of peace, and quiet adventure. Surrounded by the splendor of nature is a call to come home, to quiet our minds and to see the world as animals do. With the animals to inspire him, Nicky not only discovers a talent for art…

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A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

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