Muriel Barbery

Maria lives in a remote village in Burgundy, where she learns that she has a gift for communicating with nature. Hundreds of miles away in Italy, Clara discovers that she possesses a stunning musical genius and is sent from the countryside to Rome to develop her preternatural abilities. Barbery's The life of the elves tells the story of two children whose extraordinary talents will bring them into contact with magical worlds and malevolent forces....

"A humorous and touching story that pays tribute to creativity, beauty, the poetry of the everyday, and to the ingenuity and sardonic humor of cats. 'The Writer's Cats' tells the story of four felines, each with a very distinct personality. There's Ocha, the leader of the gang, a tough guy with a soft heart; there's bandy-legged, affectionate Mizu; There's the phlegmatic and refined Petrus, lover of flowers; and finally, there's pretty Kirin, narrator...

The timely story of Paloma a young girl bent on ending it all on her upcoming twelfth birthday. Using her father's old camcorder to chronicle the hypocrisy she sees in adults, she begins to learn about life from the grumpy building concierge, Renee Michel. She begins to understand that there are allies to be found beneath the prickliest of exteriors.