Children's Book alert!

So I've had a bit of a stressful month, and, I must admit, I've been a bit depressed. I've had a lot of difficulty concentrating and I've finished a grand total of one romance in three weeks--
Untie My Heart by Judith Ivory. It had a very interesting hero and heroine, and it was a solid read, yet it wasn't quite clicking for me. Still, I'd give it a solid C+. This week I've attempted to take matters in hand and cheer myself up, and I found some books that did the trick. Today I finished Caddy Ever After, by Hilary McKay (who dosn't seem to have a website), and it left me with a huge grin on my face. This is the fourth installment in the series chronicling the Casson family, siblings Caddy (Cadmium Yellow), Saffron, Indigo (Blue) and (Permanent) Rose. Their rather neglectful parents are both artists: the extremely dotty Eve, who spends most of her time in the shed and is unable to perform the simplest of parenting tasks, and Bill, who's off in London to work and hang out with his friends and girlfriend. These books are very British: everyone's rather daft and eccentric and dryly witty. The house is a mess and there's never any money. They are also both hilarious and touching, and the love of the family for each other really shines through. Although the title would lead you to think that the book centered upon oldest sister Caddy, the story is told from the alternating points of view of Saffy, Indigo and Rose. It deals with the annual Valentine's disco at school, Saffy's new boyfriend and the compelling question of whether or not Caddy will marry, not off and on love "Darling Michael", but new guy Alex. It's not so much what happens, but the way it happens. I just love the dialogues and the points of view. McKay's got a great voice. And I love Sarah, Saffy's wheelchair bound best friend. They have such a great friendship. It's a real treat for those whose like middle grade (ages 10-13) lit., or if you just like stories about kooky Brits. I caution you to read these in order, or you won't get the full story and flavor. It goes: Saffy's Angel, Indigo's Star, Permanent Rose, and then Caddy Ever After. While I was searching for an author site, I found this article, which suggests that there will be another book, which I sincerely hope, because I think some relationships need to be resolved, most importantly father Bill's with his family. Plus, I want Indigo and Sarah to get together.

Also while I was poking around, I found a great children's literature website: Jen Robinson's Book Page. Definitely worth a look if you like children's books or if you are looking for something to buy a young one.