A Fairy Called Hilary by Linda Leopold Strauss

I saw this book, A Fairy Called Hilary  by Linda Leopold Strauss, at our library book store and had to buy it because I have a lovely friend named Hilary.  My friend Hilary is one of the funniest people I have ever met and she brings so much fun into every life she touches.  That sounds like a magic fairy to me.  I wanted to send it to her, but I thought I should give it a read first. 

 

It is a very short book, I read it in an evening and a morning, about a little girl, Caroline, whose life is suddenly made more exciting when a fairy comes to live with her.  I was interested to read in the front of the book that the story originally appeared as a series in Cricket, The Magazine for Children in 1995.  This was a cute story that will be enjoyed by younger readers ready to move to chapter books.  Scholastic recommends this book to Grades 3-5.  I think my favorite part of the book is the end when Caroline is sad about the prospect of her fairy friend Hilary leaving someday because fairies come "only for a visit.  Not forever.  It can never be forever."  Hilary tells Caroline she can remember her for as long as she wants and Caroline replies, "That's always, then."  My dear friend Hilary recently moved away and we were all very sad to see her go, but we can remember her always.  What a great thing for us to teach our children and remember ourselves:  our friends may move away, we may move away from our friends, but the memories of those wonderful people in our lives are ours to keep forever.