This would make a nice read aloud in a primary class where there is a chapter read each day with some good discussions to follow. There is some adventure, problem solving as well as a little danger. The guests all have different needs that must be taken care of. Heartwood, is kind and generous to a fault. The various animals at the hotel are all varied and have different talents and interests. Children will be amused by the delightful world within this Hotel, as well as the many life lessons that Mona learns and teaches others along the way. Being homeless, she is offered a warm place to stay in exchange for work. Heartwood Hotel, hidden in a tree, provides refuge for lost woodland creatures, safety as well as participation in several conventions and festivals, all within its cozy branches. She stumbles upon a large tree and when she rubs her hand over the heart carved in the trunk, the hidden door opens. Mona accidentally finds the hotel when her house is flooded and she ends up getting washed down a river. It's the story of Mona, a mouse, and an animal hotel in the woods. This is a delightful story for late primary readers who are ready for more difficult chapter books. This delightfully enticing story of friendship, courage and community, sweetly illustrated by Stephanie Graegin, kicks off a new chapter-book series by the author of the Magical Animal Adoption Agency books. Because this hotel is more than a warm shelter for the night. Danger lurks nearby, and as it approaches, Mona has to use all her wits to protect the place she’s come to love. But it’s not all acorn soufflé and soft, moss-lined beds. As it turns out, Mona is precisely the maid they need at the grandest hotel in Fernwood Forest, where animals come from far and wide for safety, luxury and comfort. When Mona the mouse stumbles across the wondrous world of the Heartwood Hotel in the middle of a storm, she desperately hopes the staff will let her stay.

“If there’s one thing Vancouver author Kallie George knows, it’s how to create a tale full of whimsy.” - Quill & Quireĭownton Abbey meets The Tale of Peter Rabbit in this heartwarming chapter book about a mouse discovering where she belongs. With stories that highlight the power of friendship, Heartwood Hotel is sure to leave readers eager to visit again.” -Ashley Spires, author and illustrator of The Most Magnificent Thing “Charming and imaginative, and full of endearing characters who excel at kindness as only animals can.

A true home by kallie george