This is a favorite of my nieces, and was one of the books read to me when I was very young. The art is beautiful, and the "silly talk" is very imaginative.
30. A Wicked Way to Burn, by Margaret Miles
A mystery set in 18th century Massachusetts. A man walks up the road, bursts into flames, and then vanishes. Is it witchcraft? Murder? Optical illusion? Who murdered the man (or was it natural causes? Did anyone die at all?) This is a very satisfying mystery that keeps the reader guessing to the end, and also has a lot of information on 18th century science.
31. The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw, by Patrick F. McManus
This is a very funny collection of Patrick McManus's columns from Field and Stream. The title refers to a column about a camping trip he made a child, in which his sleeping "bag", an old fur coat, caused him to cast a shadow that got him mistaken for a bear and inspired mass panic.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad." "How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice. "You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
