I worry how sketchy or dated some of the older Newbery winners will be as I start reading them. This, however, was one of the good ones. Don't get me wrong, there's still a bit of "stay in your lane, you're a girl!" stuff. But on the whole, it's a charming story about a little girl who goes to live in rural Pennsylvania with her family after her father returns home from war with PTSD.

My favorite aspect of the story was the wonderful relationship the family had with their elderly neighbors. We too moved to a more pastoral area with our kids and were surprised with just how fantastic our neighbors are. Moreover, how delighted they were that we have kids that they could show all the fun things about the forest, the beach, etc. Some themes stand the test of time.