Read this with my children and we all really enjoyed it. It contains a story within a story. Two young sisters and their neighbor find a hidden room in the attic of their new home and the room says, "Palace Beautiful". They find a journal written by a young girl named Helen who lived in the house in 1918 during the terrible influenza outbreak. They read her journal and try to find out what happened to Helen and her family. It was especially fun that it is written by a local author and is set right in our own Salt Lake.I loved this quote near the end: "The wind blew outside....It didn't get inside, though. ...Inside there was no wind and no storm. Sometimes, the world tries to get in. It bangs and pounds, and sometimes it even blows in and makes a mess. But, somewhere, tucked behind the boxes and crates of living, there is always a Palace Beautiful waiting to be found." (Page 222) I've been reading this book with my 8yr old daughter. We have both fallen in love with this book. We reached a point where I couldn't wait to find out what happened so I finished the book on my own. I LOVE this book. I love the way language is used in this book. Sadie describes things in"yarn colors" and that makes the book seem so colorful. I wanted to take Bella in my arms the moment we meet her in the book and just hold on tight to her. Zuzu is like everyone's annoying little sister but when you meet the heart of her, your heart melts. And then there is Helen, the young girl from 1918 whose journal the girls are reading. I enjoyed how you find out what happens to her along with the girls, and how the journal entries blend with the surrounding story and don't stick out or seem out of place. This book was a pleasure to read and I will definitely be recommending it to others.
What do You think about Palace Beautiful (2010)?
Its an okay book. I expected it to be better and i got bored reading it!
—fransis
Love this book with all my heart! Soo good and sweet.
—matt
Loved it! Read it last year and had to read it again!
—Lothlorein11
