✨The Hotel Balzaar (2024)

By Kate DiCamilllo

Illustrated by Julia Sarda

4Rbooks                                           5/6                    grades          3-6

Amazon                                             4.8/5              grade level   2-5

Goodreads                                      4.28/5          

Common Sense Media               5/5                  age 7+

151 pages

Synopsis

             Marta and her mother live in the attic of the Hotel Balzaar.  Marta’s mother is the cleaning lady of the hotel.  There they wait, wondering and hoping that Marta’s father will find them after the war.  They haven’t heard from him in a long time.

            Every day, Marta’s mother tells her to be quiet as a mouse and not to let anyone know she is there.  Marta sneaks around the hotel but has made friends with Norman the bellman. She loves watching the grandfather clock in the lobby and contemplating the painting with one angel wing. “Is she coming or going?” Marta ponders.

            One day a woman with a parrot comes to the hotel.  She notices Marta and takes a special interest in her. Marta is invited to her room and the Countess, as she calls herself, begins to tell her a series of 7 stories. They don’t make sense at first, but it doesn’t take long for Marta to see how they are interconnected, not just with each other, but with her, too. Could these stories be bringing her the news that she has been longing to hear for many years?

Parental Guidelines:    medium-low 

Marta’s father is missing after going off to war.

Marta spends her days roaming the hotel with instructions to be quiet and unseen.

Many of the Contessa’s tales include typical fairy tale elements: a man is turned into a parrot by a witch, a boy is taken away by the king and doesn’t return to his family, a woman abandons a baby with a farm couple.

The father loses his memory during the war.

Marta never goes to school.

Recommendation

  This is the second book of a new series, Norendy Tales, by acclaimed author Kate DiCamillo. I was underwhelmed by the first book, The Puppets of Spelhorst, but this was an enjoyable read. It’s a tale of tales and the focus on story telling should make it a great classroom read, whole class or small groups. While the language is vivid, it’s a very accessible read for all levels. It’s a small book, only 151 pages, with short chapters and beautiful illustrations. 

It's a sad book at times, but there are escapes from the sadness in Marta’s adventures in the hotel and the stories of the Countess. Ultimately, everything wraps up in a happy ending making it an enjoyable read.