On the night table: Nita Prose
Author, The Maid's Secret
I very recently finished Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall, and it's an extraordinary novel. For anyone who liked (Delia Owens') Where the Crawdad Sings, this is that sort of next, rich tapestry of a read. It's really brilliant — I don't want to say too much about it, but I do think what it does so expertly is navigate love and grief at the same time. And it does so in a way that's incredibly insightful and poignant.
Dahlia Katz photo
Nita Prose
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Buy on mcnallyrobinson.com
Nita Prose will be at McNally Robinson Booksellers' Grant Park location on Wednesday at 7 p.m. to read from and discuss her new novel The Maid's Secret.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Riveting wartime read next for book club
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Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Carefully curated
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Winnipeg Free Press
26-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Having their say
The Free Press's Summer Reading Challenge for Kids is in full swing, and a host of young reviewers have submitted their thoughts on some of the 12 books on the reading lists. The Free Press offered a few guidelines for the reviews — write about what they liked, what they didn't like, and include a star-rating out of five — but the rest was up to them. And, as you'll see, we've got some candid young critics on our hands. A second batch of reviews will run in print and online at the end of August, so there's still ample time for kids to register for the reading challenge, check out the book lists (curated by McNally Robinson Booksellers) and submit their reviews. Visit Kids Book Club to register for free and for more information about all the books on the three reading lists (for reading levels 7 to 9 years, 10 to 12 years and 13 to 15 years). Once registered, you'll receive reading guides and activities for each book, as well as information on upcoming deadlines for review submissions. 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My favourite character was Brynn, who showed up at the perfect time and she caused some drama, which really got me invested into this book! Finally, I feel like the ending was just flawless (SO GOOD) and you HAVE to read the book all of the way through for it!!! All in all, A Constellation of Minor Bears was a book that I loved and will recommend to everyone! ★★★★ out of 5 stars — Lianne Beirnes, age 12 By Mary Averling Penguin Random House, 224 pages, $25 Buy on Rafaela LeGoff, age 10 Rafaela LeGoff, age 10 Maudie, Scratch, and Kit aren't normal kids. They are ghosts haunting Mayflower Cottage, which is by the sea and is a spooky place. Their job is to scare away visitors. This time the Edevanes come, and Maudie tells her scariest story yet about a monster called Longfingers. He's super tall with nails so long they scrape the floor and teeth sharp like knives. At first Maudie doesn't believe Longfingers is real. But then Kit and Scratch go missing, and everything changes. 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Fisk is big and super strong like an ogre, and Topper is small with big ears and really sneaky. They aren't humans, but other creatures that live in the same world. I liked all the guards and traps they had to get past and how they tried to escape. The pictures were really good and the story is exciting and funny too. I want to read the next one to see if Dessa finds her brother. ★★★★★ out of 5 stars — George LeGoff, age 8 Stephanie Boon Stephanie Boon Three Thieves: Tower of Treasure by Scott Chandler is an interesting graphic novel. It was quick and easy to read. The pictures look hand drawn and are well done. The illustrations add to the graphic novel. The characters are weird and cool at the same time. There's a human girl, an elf and a giant. The story was very exciting and I wanted to keep reading, but I wish we could know more about her back story. I feel like it's a book that you really have to read the next book in the series to fully understand. ★★★★ 1/2 out of 5 stars — Stephanie Boon, age 10
