GLENDA MILLARD - Layla Queen of Hearts

Book 2 in the award-winning Kingdom of Silk series. A friend like Layla comes along once in a lifetime. Griffin's daddy used to say that Layla had been sent to comfort them after Tishkin went away, "like an arm about their shoulders, a candle in the dark or like golden syrup dumplings for the soul." When Senior Citizen's Day is announced at school, Layla wishes for someone special to take. It is then that the intriguing Miss Amelie comes into their lives. Through their new friendship, Layla and Griffin learn the importance of memories, generosity of spirit, and the small miracles that warm the heart. Very few writers can write about families like Glenda Millard writes about families. There is a reason why the Kingdom of Silk series has won every major book prize in Australia: these whimsical, beautifully written and illustrated mini-novels are quite simply exceptional.