Griffin’s daddy used to say that Layla had been sent to comfort them after Tishkin went away; like an arm about their shoulders, a candle in the dark or like golden syrup dumplings for the soul.
There is going to be a Senior Citizen’s Day at school and Griffin says that Layla can share his grandma, Nell, but Layla wishes that she had someone special of her own to take along. The whole Silk family, of which Layla is an honorary member, is involved in Layla’s selection process, but it is Nell who introduces her to Miss Amelie, who lives on her own and doesn’t remember very well. Through the special friendship that develops between Miss Amelie and Layla , she and her friend Griffin learn some moving lessons about life, memories and small miracles.
A follow-up to The Naming of Tishkin Silk, Layla Queen of Hearts is just as touching as its predecessor. Layla and Griffin are delightful young characters and Miss Amelie’s struggles with memory loss and aging tug at the heart strings. The story is tightly woven, with layers of laughter and tears which leave the reader thinking about the characters and their lives long after the cover is closed.
Beautiful.
Layla, Queen of Hearts, by Glenda Millard
ABC Books, 2006