title: Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story
author:  Kara LaReau 
description: Shunned by the much softer creatures in the forest, Mr. Prickles the porcupine is very lonely. Its not as though he hasnt tried to reach out to Raccoon, Chipmunk, and Skunk, but the fact is none of them want to get to know himand it has turned him prickly on the inside. While resentfully spying on his nonfriends one evening, he notices the intriguing Miss Pointypants, a porcupine who lives in the stump next door, for the first time. They quickly form a bond doing porcupine-type things, such as swimming and twig eating, which allows them to rise above the teasing of the others. Love blossoms, in spite of the fact that they must hug cautiously, and they realize its much better to be alone with someone else. The simple, though sometimes challenging to learn, youre-perfect-just-the-way-you-are and like-likes-like themes are presented with short sentences, frequent dialogue, good pacing, and clear nocturnal art, making for a very nice, if ever so slightly pedestrian, storytime title. Preschool-Grade 1. --Andrew Medlar
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  “Carlotta, do allow me to present Lord Darvell to you.”
  
  Carlotta froze. She had known this moment would come, had rehearsed it a
  thousand times, but still she was not prepared for the stomach-wrenching spasm
  that threatened to render her senseless when she heard his name. Gathering all
  her strength, she turned and dragged her eyes up to his face. The gentleman
  standing before her was achingly familiar. As he bowed over her hand, she
  looked at his brown hair and remembered the silky feel of it beneath her
  fingers, the touch of his lips, not on her glove but on her own mouth,
  caressing, demanding. She thrust such thoughts away. They had no place in her
  life now. He had no place in her life now.
  
  She forced herself to look at him. His glance told her he knew her, but there
  was no sign of uncertainty in his hazel eyes as he smiled. He was so sure of
  his welcome. Her training had been very good: she buried her feelings and
  presented him with a bland, polite mask. She with