A Stitch in Time

Daphne Kalmar’s debut middle-grade novel, “A Stitch in Time,” is a moving story of grief and rebirth. The main character of the story is Donut, an orphan who is eleven years old and struggles with her disagreeable aunt, Aunt Agnes. Donut holds out hope that she will be able to stay in Vermont, where her late mother’s memories and her taxidermied mice are kept, even though Aunt Agnes intends to take her to Boston permanently. The book speaks to Donut’s heart directly and uses exquisite, evocative language.