The staff at The Bookies has suggestions for March reading

Each week as part of SunLit — The Sun’s literature section — we feature staff recommendations from book stores across Colorado. This week, staff from The Bookies in Denver recommend “Nobody Will Tell You This But Me,” “Tenmile” and “The Flower Man.”

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From the publisher: Life in 1880 Tenmile, Colorado, isn’t easy. But it’s all that 12-year-old Sissy Carlson knows. She’s lived here her whole life, watching her father, the local doctor, tend to the town’s citizens. And while the mountain setting is gorgeous, Tenmile is a rough gold mining town. It often feels like there’s just a thin line between life and death. What kind of future does Tenmile offer, especially for a girl? A poignant coming-of-age middle grade novel by New York Times-bestselling author Sandra Dallas.

From Marilyn Robbins, Children’s Program Coordinator: Sandra Dallas has written another excellent historical fiction book for kids. This time it’s the 1880s and Sissy Carlson is growing up with her dad, a doctor, in the mountains of Colorado. Life is hard in this small town where gold mining takes priority in everyone’s life. Food can be scarce, accidents are plenty, and the youth wonder if opportunities beyond their current conditions are even possible as they grow up. Dallas is a phenomenal author, giving all of us a taste of the past.

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From the publisher: Even after she left home for Hollywood, Emmy-nominated TV writer Bess Kalb saved every voicemail her grandmother Bobby Bell ever left her. Bobby was a force — irrepressible, glamorous, unapologetically opinionated. Bobby doted on Bess; Bess adored Bobby. Then, at ninety, Bobby died. But in this debut memoir, Bobby is speaking to Bess once more, in a voice as passionate as it ever was in life.

From Bess Maher, Event Liaison: Author and comedy writer Bess Kalb channels her beloved grandmother’s voice in this unique, moving memoir. A preface and key details about the author’s life remind you that this story is filtered through Bess Kalb’s point of view, but Bobby, her remarkable grandmother, takes center stage as readers’ discover Bobby’s mother’s harrowing journey to the United States, her upbringing in Brooklyn, and her rise to family matriarch. Bess Kalb’s devotion to her grandmother comes through clearly, as do the strength and fierce love of the women of her family.  

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From the publisher: When the Flower Man arrives he buys an old shack, long forgotten and long abandoned. His neighbors don’t know what to think as everything he touches turns to color. He plants a garden, gives away a flower . . . and the next thing you know, every life is transformed in this wordless picture book. The message within, while simple, is profound. It points to the fact that every life matters and love never fails to change lives. Every window tells a different story — more than 60 of them.

From Rivian Bass, Bookseller: This is a delightful and detailed tale of how one person can color his world with joy. Ludy has detailed over 60 stories through his illustrations featuring rich and diverse characters — all without words! Look carefully and follow each character from spread to spread. You might even find Jimmy Stewart from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” and discover Ludy’s inspiration!