Five Fall Favourites Day 5 // Babies!

It’s the fifth day, y’all. The FFF is almost over! *cries* But tomorrow is the sale, so that’s some consolation. *halo* Are you all ready for today’s excursion? Today we’re taking a walk, and I’m going to be handing out…

There’s some of every shape, size, and colour, so help yourselves! Today we’re going to walk over to the clinic and visit a few babies.

That’s right. We have some awfully sweet babies here in Turnapage Village, and we’re so excited to show them to you! Our first ray of sunshine is Trixie from…

(P.S. Click on the book title for a Goodreads link, and click on the book image for a link to a download of the book.)

1. The Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum.

This acclaimed story of World War II is rich in suspense, characterization, plot and spiritual truth.

Every element of occupied Holland is united in a story of courage and hope: a hidden Jewish child, an “underdiver,” a downed RAF pilot, an imaginative, daring underground hero, and the small things of family life which surprisingly carry on in the midst of oppression. The Verhagen family, who live in the old windmill called the Winged Watchman, are a memorable set of individuals whose lives powerfully demonstrate the resilience of those who suffer but do not lose faith.

Little Trixie was only a baby when her Jewish parents were taken away by the S.S. Her mama managed to hide her and let a neighbour know, and the neighbour, Mrs. Verhagen, raised Trixie as her own. She is such a sweet, happy baby and her brothers are so nice. It’s really a lovely family! Full review here.

Our next little one is sweet Brendan from

2. Captive of Raven Castle by Jessica Greyson. 

The troubled people of war-torn Chambria are on the brink of starvation, and a delicate princess with a recurring nightmare is their only hope.

Alexandra knows that her value to her country consists mainly in her ability to marry well, but when she is kidnapped by the rebels and taken to meet the man claiming to be both Chambria’s true king and her real father, her entire world falls apart.

Will Princess Alexandra be able to untangle the web of lies and discern who is the true king and her father?

Baby Brendan was there the whole book through and he was just the cutest thing! He also did a great job showing what awesome parents Cassandra and Taleon would be 😉 and he ushered in some great scenes. Full review here…

Isn’t he a darling? Now we can meet a couple babies from…

3. Celia’s House by D.E. Stevenson.

Celia’s House, filled with effervescent warmth and cheer, is the story of Dunnian—a spellbindingly lovely family estate in Scottish Border country—and of the generations of Dunne family that live in it and love it dearly.

Beginning in 1905 with ninety-year-old Celia Dunne, it delightfully portrays the bustling life of her heir and grand-nephew, Humphrey Dunne, and his family of five rambunctious children. It follows the family over forty years—through their youthful antics, merry parties, heartbreaks and loves and marriages, as each in turn comes to maturity and an understanding of the enduring satisfaction Dunnian gives to their lives. 

I have no clue why they market this as a romance. Because it’s not really. The synopsis is really good and states exactly what the story is about. It’s really delightful. There are several babies—Celia and Bobby, at least. Full and more detailed review here.

I’m having issues finding books with babies for some stupid reason. But here is another.

4. Home Fires of the Great War by Rebekah A. Morris.

Thirteen-year-old Maria Mitchell, known to all as Ria, and her friend Lydia have been assigned to write a report on a hero or heroine of the Great War (World War I) for a school project. Instead of picking some well known figure, the two friends decide to search for someone forgotten or unknown. When asked to help, Emma Mitchell, Ria’s Mom, brings out old letters she and a cousin wrote during the war. The girls are sure the letters hold the key to their success of finding a forgotten hero! But will they? It that all that these letters bring to light? Join Ria and Lydia, Mrs. Mitchell, an old neighbor called Corporal, and others as they re-live the years of home life during the war.

I haven’t read this in a long time but I loved it. It’s full of family and humour and sweetness and good themes. It’s one of the best books on WWI. It’s also chock-full of babies (unsurprisingly, since it encompasses several years). Full review here—and it’s one of the first reviews I ever read, so don’t cringe too hard.

And finally, this one might be a little bit of a stretch, but I can’t really think of another at the moment…

5. The Heir of Redclyffe by Charlotte M. Yonge.

First published in 1853, The Heir of Redclyffe was among the most successful novels of the century, equalling even the work of Dickens and Thackeray in popularity. The story of a clash of personality between well-born cousins, Guy Morville and Philip Edmonstone, the plot focuses on Guy’s spiritual struggle to overcome the darker side of his nature. Philip’s sinister insinuations about Guy’s character almost thwart Guy’s marriage to the gentle Amy, yet despite their bitter feuding the novel reaches an unexpected and dramatic conclusion that vindicates romantic virtue, self-sacrifice, and piety, epitomizing the period’s nostalgia for an idealized chivalric past.
Adopted by William Morris and Burne-Jones as ‘a pattern for actual life’, Guy was a popular role model of noble virtue, while Amy is the ideal Victorian wife—redeemer and inspirer, support and guide. The Heir of Redclyffe is a virtual paradigm of the trends of thought which characterized the middle decades of the nineteenth century.

Baby Morville doesn’t show up very much, and he doesn’t do very much, but I still feel like he’s an important character. ;P At any rate, he’s a very sweet baby which is basically all we expect of him, right? And this book is just excellent, so you should read it (especially since it’s free). Full review here.

Here we are back at the Lodge again. Did you enjoy your little trip? Please leave your backpacks in the box in the lobby. And then be sure to participate in the giveaway! It’s quite epic—open both Internationally and U.S. The prize is really awesome, all about books… of course! If we get enough entries, there’ll be a second place winner—and if we get more entries, there’ll be a third place winner!! So what are you waiting for? Hop on over! There’s also a Books room where you can get a free ebook, so be sure to check out the other blogs to find it!!

All right, everyone. As is obvious, I need recommendations of books with babies in them, so please leave me some in the comments below!