Ten Beautiful Things by Griffin, Molly

A heartfelt story of changing perspectives, set in the Midwest. Ten Beautiful Things gently explores loss, a new home, and finding beauty wherever you are.

Lily and her grandmother search for ten beautiful things as they take a long car ride to Iowa and Lily's new home with Gran. At first, Lily sees nothing beautiful in the April slush and cloudy sky. Soon though, Lily can see beauty in unexpected places, from the smell of spring mud to a cloud shaped like a swan to a dilapidated barn. A furious rainstorm mirrors Lily's anxiety, but as it clears Lily discovers the tenth beautiful thing: Lily and Gran and their love for each other.

Ten Beautiful Things leaves the exact cause of Lily's move ambiguous, making it perfect for anyone helping a child navigate change, whether it be the loss of a parent, entering or leaving a foster home, or moving.

Author: Molly Griffin
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
Published: 01/12/2021
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 8.70h x 11.20w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9781580899369
Audience: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 3.3
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 511631 / Ten Beautiful Things


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 11/16/2020
Booklist 12/01/2020 pg. 57
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2021
Foreword 12/26/2020
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2021 pg. 75
Shelf Awareness 01/12/2021
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2021 - Superior,Well Above Average

About the Author
Molly Beth Griffin is a graduate of Hamline University's MFA program in writing for children and young adults and a writing teacher at the Loft Literary Center in the Twin Cities. She is the author of Loon Baby and Silhouette of a Sparrow.

Maribel Lechuga is the illustrator of Seaside Stroll. She has always felt an attraction to drawing and art, and she was fascinated by cartoons of the 1990s. She studied art at the prestigious Escuela de Arte 10 (Artediez) in Madrid. www.maribellechuga.com