Mandy by Julie Edwards

 As a little girl I loved playing house.  In the summer my house was in the corner of the basement; in the winter it was in the attic.  But no matter the season, one thing was always certain; my house had everything I imagined that the perfect house could offer.  Maybe that is why the selection for this month is probably my favorite children’s book.  I did not find Mandy by Julie Edwards (Andrews) until about ten years ago but I am so glad I did.  It is the story of a ten year-old girl living her childhood in an orphanage, struggling with loneliness, and longing for something that always seems to elude her.  When she scales the orphanage wall to explore the surrounding woods she finds a tiny, deserted cottage, which she quickly claims as her secret place.

     This book is filled with wondrous descriptions of this cottage in the woods and how Mandy makes it her own.  I was ten again as she weeded the pathway leading up to the doorway, as she swept the corners of their cowebs, and as she talked to the little animals and birds that followed her progress.  I became totally engrossed in her quest to make it her own.  But there were questions.  To whom does the cottage really belong?  Is anyone noticing her absences from the orphanage?  Will Mandy ever have a family and a true home? I enjoyed finding the answers to these questions so much that when I had finished reading the book for myself I immediately read it aloud to my daughter who was twelve at the time.  I look forward to reading it this summer to my granddaughters when they visit. 

     One can sometimes find a paperback copy of this book at garage sales, etc.  I was fortunate to have found a hardback copy.  It can still be found on Amazon.com. And if you are wondering, yes, the author is the Julie Andrews of “The Sound of Music” fame.

     Please take the opportunity to read to your children this summer.  I hope that Mandy finds a “home” on your bookshelf.