Girl in the Mirror by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

Burrowes' clear, bright collages of cut paper, watercolor and acrylics show individuals in a vital African American neighborhood, and the bookstore is a lively place with shelves of books displayed on almost every page. The characters are idyllic, but there's no slick solution it's never certain that the store will remain open. Then the rent goes up and the store may have to close, and that galvanizes Destiny and her parents to organize the neighborhood with fund-raisers and demonstrations to try to save the store.

Wade, who shares books and talks about the magic of words and stories. She has a close bond with the owner, Mrs. 'The local children's bookstore is a special place for Destiny, who visits there and helps out after school and on weekends. A worthwhile addition.' -School Library Journal -Publishers Weekly Pair this story with Arthur Levine's Pearl Moscowitz's Last Stand (Morrow, 1993 o.p.) to spark a conversation about the importance of community involvement.

combine lovely, textured papers with pencil enhancements to create a warm, multicultural environment complete with well-stocked bookstore shelves. The only resolution is Destiny's gift, a gift of words in the form of a story she has written for Mrs. However, there are no pat solutions here the story ends with the closure still looming in spite of a community effort to appeal to the landlord and raise funds. This quiet, evocative book clearly reflects the special sense of community that a wonderful neighborhood bookstore can bring. Their special relationship may come to an end, however, when Destiny learns that Mrs. Destiny loves words, and the store's owner has long fostered that love by allowing the girl to hang around, encouraging her to learn new words and letting her help stock shelves and water the plants. 'A bittersweet ode to a beloved bookstore that is threatened with closure. As the story ends, the future of the bookstore is still unclear, but everyone will understand the importance of books and the people who know and love them.' -Kirkus Reviews Burrowes's paper give the characters a three dimensional feel.Still there are clever uses of familiar titles tucked into the books on the shelves and the feeling between Destiny and Mrs. As Destiny tries to save the store, she reflects on what makes it so important to her and shares these sentiments with Mrs. This, of course, is unacceptable, so Destiny, with the assistance of her parents rallies the neighborhood in support of Mrs.

Wade at the bookstore twice a week to share stories, tea and cookies. 'Destiny loves words and, thus, loves Mrs.

Girl in the Mirror by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley