CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
To print a CCBC booklist, click on a list below and then use your browser’s “Print” command.
Rosa by Starlight
CCBC Review:
Eleven-year-old Rosa Mundi (white) “lived in a world where she hoped there was magic,” setting the stage for a classic orphan story with a cat-centric dollop of fantasy. Orphaned as a toddler, Rosa has been living with her sketchy aunt and uncle whose care ranges from negligent to malicious. Fortunately, Rosa’s lonely life is enlivened by the companionship of Balthazar, the cat living a pampered life next door, who first entered her room through a closed window. On a trip to Venice, Rosa’s aunt and uncle dump her at a small family-run hotel, where she learns how to communicate with the Italian-speaking owners and ventures into the city on her own. Interactions with Venetian cats and a near fatal encounter with her so-called caretakers culminate in a magical interlude with a winged lion statue and restored memories of the loving connection she once shared with her parents. Ensconced in her newfound hotel family, Rosa’s promising future seems assured. The nostalgic trope of the hard-luck orphan who finds happiness gets a fresh take with a contemporary setting and a dose of the fantastical. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 8-12
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Action/Adventure
Animals (Fiction)
Families
Fantasy
Magical Realism
Orphans
On CCBC Booklist:
Family Read-Alouds
Publishers:
Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 148
ISBN: 9781665958103
CCBC Location: Fiction, McKay
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.