The Winter of the Dollhouse, by Laura Amy Schlitz

(Hardback, 400 pages, first published in 2025)

“In the small-scale world of Laura Amy Schlitz’s novel The Winter of the Dollhouse, the emotional stakes are both intimate and enormous. . . . [She] is a masterly storyteller.” —The New York Times Book Review

This captivating coming-of-age story is touching, funny, and beautifully layered, with a fairy-tale ending that only Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz could deliver.

On a gloomy November night, eleven-year-old Tiphany Stokes saves an old lady from collapsing in the street. An antique doll named Gretel watches them, longing for Tiph to rescue her from life in a shop window. Though none of these three characters realizes it, their worlds are about to change: Gretel will no longer be a precious prisoner. The old lady will discover the secret hidden in her long-neglected dollhouse. And Tiph—whose parents rejoice that she is “never any trouble”—will become a thief, a dog walker, an actor, and best of all, a friend.

Storyglory Cautions: One use of d--- and a few uses of the Lord's name in vain.

Recommended Age: 8-12