{"product_id":"the-hotel-balzaar-9781536223316","title":"The Hotel Balzaar","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn instant \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eIn a wise and magical follow-up to \u003ci\u003eThe Puppets of Spelhorst\u003c\/i\u003e, Kate DiCamillo revisits the land of Norendy, where tales swirl within tales--and every moment is a story in the making.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAt the Hotel Balzaar, Marta's mother rises before the sun, puts on her uniform, and instructs Marta to roam as she will but \u003ci\u003equietly\u003c\/i\u003e, invisibly--like a little mouse. While her mother cleans rooms, Marta slips down the back staircase to the grand lobby to chat with the bellman, study the painting of an angel's wing over the fireplace, and watch a cat chase a mouse around the face of the grandfather clock, all the while dreaming of the return of her soldier father, who has gone missing. One day, a mysterious countess with a parrot checks in, promising a story--in fact, seven stories in all, each to be told in its proper order. As the stories unfold, Marta begins to wonder: could the secret to her father's disappearance lie in the countess's tales? Book two in a trio of novellas bound by place and mood--with elegant line art by Júlia Sardà--\u003ci\u003eThe Hotel Balzaar\u003c\/i\u003e masterfully juggles yearning and belief, shining light into every dark corner.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eKate DiCamillo\u003c\/b\u003e is one of America's most beloved storytellers. She is a former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and a two-time Newbery Medalist. Born in Philadelphia, she grew up in Florida and now lives in Minneapolis. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eJúlia Sardà\u003c\/b\u003e is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including \u003ci\u003eThe Queen in the Cave\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003ewhich she also wrote, and \u003ci\u003eMoving the Millers' Minnie Moore Mine Mansion: A True Story\u003c\/i\u003e by Dave Eggers.\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eShe lives in Barcelona.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Candlewick Press (MA)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50875111768338,"sku":"9781536223316","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_401562fe-e74c-4d95-aa65-b6021a73ef31.jpg?v=1758637495","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-hotel-balzaar-9781536223316","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}