Rosh ~catching up slowly~ > Books: netgalley‎ (1207)

When Jimmy’s parents are going out for the evening, they leave him in the hands of a new babysitter named Ms. Cherry. Jimmy behaves wonderfully until his parents leave, and then unleashes his hidden side. With him flexing his speed and fearlessness and temper, Ms. Cherry has a tough time keeping up. But then, something happens and Jimmy is forced to question his attitude.
The story is written in Jimmy’s first-person perspective.

Isabella has always dreamed of playing an angel in the annual Nativity play, so when she sees the call for auditions, she is quite excited and rehearses all her lines well. But when she gets selected to play the drummer girl – a role with no lines, she is heartbroken. Why is this Christmas so disappointing? Is there any way it will improve?
The story comes to us in Isabella’s first-person POV.

When ex-fashion designer Norma McKinsey, nearly eighty years of age, crashes her car and lands up in hospital, she realises that she needs to get going on the one task she has been avoiding for many years: looking for her younger son Kevin. He is still with her but only in her thoughts, constantly speaking to her. As Kevin left home twenty-five years ago and hasn’t been in touch since, it is high time Norma sets things right. Her elder son Charlie wishes to move her to a nursing home, but she is adamant that she can manage on her own even in her huge house. Her younger sister Julie hence arranges for her tenant, an out-of-work nurse named Alex, to look after Norma while she recuperates. Each of these characters has something weighing on their mind, either from their past or from their present.
The story comes to us mostly in the third-person perspectives of Norma and Alex, with a few scenes from a couple of other third-person POVs.

2019. Ohio, USA. Eleven-year-old Willa has been a resident of the Southern Ohio Children’s Home for four years, ever since her mom died from a drug overdose. Opioid abuse is a common problem in the community, and the Home is a haven for several “drug orphans” as well as other children in need. Willa hopes to always be at the Home, even though she gets in trouble at times. She loves the place, her teacher, her companions, and most of all, Mercy (the director of the Home). The newest resident of the Home is Kacey, a nonbinary teen who has been rejected by their parents for their gender identity. Willa and Kacey soon become fast friends. When the duo discover a secret diary written by Mercy’s late aunt, they stumble upon a dark history connected to the past of the Home and the town.
The story comes to us in Willa’s first-person perspective.

Little Bessie’s head is always buzzing with bees, and she has been perfectly okay with them. But when her granny takes Bessie to a new place… a school, Bessie notices that none of the other kids there have bees. She tries to force her bees inside her head, but the bees don’t like this and they rebel. Soon, Bessie’s head is bursting with bees, and they begin creating havoc at school. How can Bessie ensure that her bees behave at school?

As the vacation is about to begin, little Noah is pondering over a big, biiiig problem: he wants to play with his younger brother Gabriel, but cannot. Gabriel is autistic and hence his brain functions differently. However, Noah is not one to give up. He tries a variety of fun activity options with Gabriel, but the result is never successful. Just when Noah thinks he might not be able to overcome his big, biiiig issue, he hits upon a big, biiiig solution.
The story is written in Noah’s third-person perspective.

After becoming the champion of the Tom Quilty endurance race, Stormy is now ready for the next phase of his adventures with his owner Charlie. They are training for ‘reining’, which is a whole other ballgame and requires completely different skills. Stormy is quite frustrated at messing up, but as a wise friend reminds him, we don’t achieve anything if we don’t push ourselves out of our comfort zone. Unfortunately, while things do start to go well, there is also some bad news in store.
The story comes to us in Stormy’s first-person perspective.

Max finds his dream gift awaiting him outside his bedroom door – a big drum. When he receives a pair of sticks as well, Max drums his heart out with joy. His music draws an unexpected visitor from far away: a majestic lion who seeks his help.

In her younger years, Ripley was a working dog, guarding the wildlife refuge with Max, the best guy ever. But when Max had to leave, he gave Ripley one final instruction: “Take care of the girls.” And that is what Ripley has been doing these past five years, loving Max’s eleven-year-old daughter Charlie more than anyone else, and taking care of her and “Mom” just like Max had wanted. There’s only one problem: Ripley is aging and she knows that she doesn’t have many seasons left. How can she continue doing her job if she isn't around? Who will take care of “the girls” if something happens to her?
The story comes to us in Ripley’s first-person perspective.

Theo is trying to settle in her a new life as Cecily's familiar, but with most fairies either being ignorant about or obnoxious to humans, Theo is struggling. She misses Kaz, the only person who would have understood her problems. To add to her woes, she is being stalked by a stranger. When the stranger finally approaches her, Theo learns about a thousand-year-old secret, and finds herself right in the middle of new fairy bargains and dangers.
The story comes to us in Theo's third-person perspective.

2019. Thirteen-year-old Sybilla (whom everyone calls ‘Billie’) has always been the weird one in her class. Her fondness for historical clothing doesn’t help her reputation. With historian parents who are also antique aficionados, Billie has always grown up in a house full of love and weird relics. But since the death of her mother six years ago, things haven’t been the same.
When a mysterious cat enters her life, little does Billie realise that the cat is leading her towards a purpose, which has something to do with the gigantic grandfather’s clock in the living room that has not worked properly even once. A further exploration of this clock leads to some unforeseen consequences. Unexpectedly, Billie finds herself teaming up with Jack, the son of the local antiquarian, to save her family and also the world from an un*time*ly disaster.
The story comes to us in the third-person perspective of various characters.

Whenever anyone asks Andrew how his day went, he grumbles about something awful that messed up his day. After a few days, his sister Amelia points out that he only talks of the bad things that happened. She suggests that he start thinking of one awesome thing that happens to him every day, even if it is something small. Andrew knows this is a tall ask, but he still agrees to try. What do you think happens next?

Colby, North Carolina. Idalee Lovett comes from a long line of country musicians. Not that they were famous, but they all had talent, some local success. Her Mama is fulfilling her dream at present, touring with her group for the summer in bars across the state. As the Lovett family has a huge house with rooms to rent, Idalee has to stay back in the house, with the other tenants as her main companions.
When the local radio competition announces a songwriting contest with tempting prizes, Idalee is determined to win. But she cannot write a song with her rickety old out-of-tune guitar, and the beautiful blue one she saw in the shop is too expensive. However, Idalee knows exactly how she can get enough money to purchase the guitar before her Mama returns, and she enlists her friends Odell, Howard and Charlie to help out. Are things ever that easy though?
The story comes to us in Idalee’s first-person perspective.