Destiny's Gift

Review
By Booklist

The local children’s bookstore is a special place for Destiny, who visits there and helps out after school and on weekends. She has a close bond with the owner, Mrs. Wade, who shares books and talks about the magic of words and stories. Then the rent goes up and the store may have to close, and that galvanizes Destiny and her parents to organize the neighborhood with fund-raisers and demonstrations to try to save the store. The characters are idyllic, but there’s no slick solution; it’s never certain that the store will remain open. Burrowes’ clear, bright collages of cut paper, watercolor and acrylics show individuals in a vital African American neighborhood, and the bookstore is a lively place with shelves of books displayed on almost every page. Many kids will relate to the adult who brings them the gift of a story–at home, at school, at the library, or at the bookstore.