Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sophie Kelly

Kathleen Paulson is a small town librarian with some quite extraordinary cats. Owen can disappear at will and Hercules can walk through walls. When these two felines discover that their beloved owner is accused of murder, it is up to these four legged fur balls and their clever owner to get to the bottom of the mystery.

The Black Cauldron (1985)

The story is based off the book by Lloyd Alexander of the same name. I have read the first book in the series The Book of Three but never ventured farther into the series. The movie tells of the “Assistant Pig Keeper” Taran and his quest with three misfit friends to outwit the Horned King and prevent him from using the titular Black Cauldron to raise his zombie army. Perhaps not one of Disney’s best movies but still good and worth a second look.

Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce

The children seemed to have nothing in common. The noble. The unlucky Trader. The former thief. The girl who could call the lightning. But somehow they all ended up at Winding Circle. Soon they realize why they have been brought to this remote location. They all have magic, and only here at Winding Circle can they learn to use and control it. The four children are forced to create a deep and abiding bond that no one can break in order to survive earthquakes and storms and none of them will ever be the same again. The first in Tamora Pierce’s The Circle of Magic Series.

The Thief of Baghdad (1940)

King Ahamad is tricked out of his kingdom by the evil magician Jafar. He meets a thief named Abu who helps him escape. Along the way of their adventures Ahamad falls in love with the princess. Abu helps him both regain his throne and his chosen love. There are genies, magic jewels, and evil spells. This movie is one of my all time childhood favorites. As an adult I realized how many similarities it had to Disney’s Aladdin. I seriously think the screenwriters of Aladdin either watched this movie or the older, silent one with Douglas Fairbanks that came out in 1924 or perhaps both! (For the record I have never seen Fairbanks’ version). Watch all three and decide what you think!!