I think you know a book qualifies as living literature when it brings another time and place so close your almost there. We truly loved being whisked back in time and across the sea in "Little House in the Highlands" by Melissa Wiley. Believe me - it's not always easy to find books that truly interest children ages 5, 8, 11, and 13 - but this book had something for everyone. Hannah (13) our budding young herbalist and beginning piper would surely love anything set in Scotland - but put in a mysterious figure like Auld Mary and a description of making haggis and you've got a teen enjoying a book just as much as her 5 and 8 year-old brothers.

But Katie (age 11) was truly inspired by Martha and her doll Lady Flora. Her knitting needles have been still all summer, but after hearing about Lady Flora, I think Katie wanted to do something a little extra for her own Lady Lydia picture above. She simply casted on a needle full of stitches and knit two stitches together at the beginning and end of every row. The next day Lady Lydia was sporting a new shawl for the coming cool weather (or at least I imagine it will come to our corner of NJ eventually - we're all still in shorts!). And a pink sweater is also in the works. No patterns - she's just knitting away what comes to mind. Here's the back view -