In brief: Orphaned mouse Mona has never had a real home—until a storm drives her into the cozy safety of the Heartwood Hotel. Working as a maid at the grandest hotel in Fernwood Forest, Mona’s happier than she’s ever been. But Mona’s not sure she really belongs at Heartwood—and danger may be lurking in the woods.

Why it’s a great readaloud: Sometimes you want a gentle, reassuring book that the world is a good place and kindness is usually the right choice. This book delivers, with a likable protagonist who uses her brains and her courage to problem-solve when she runs into problems. It’s hard not to love the details of the hotel where adorable woodland creatures come for their holidays, and there’s a surprising depth to this simple story that can launch interesting conversations about community, family, home, and friendship.

But be aware: If you’re in the mood for adventure and excitement, you may want to save this book for a quieter time.

Quotable: “We live by PROTECT and RESPECT, not by TOOTH and CLAW.”

I love anthropomorphic animal stories! This one is just so charming! Kallie George's characters are so wonderful and her book is so entertaining. I am sure it would make a wonderful summer read or bed time story for grade schoolers. Just enough intrigue to hold their interest. Wonderful tale!

Got this in exchange for an honest review.
Nice little book, a fast read that shows the strength of the character and how it changed the life ot those around her.

This book is so well written and relatable to children . My 9yr old granddaughter quickly fell in love with the characters and we would make up viices for each animal as they were introduced. Though she can read it, it has become a favorite to read together!

Heartwood Hotel, with the secret entrance hidden in a tree, a place of refuge for lost creatures of the wilderness, those that are easy prey for larger beasts of the woods. What an absolutely delightful little story, it reminded me of The Wind in the Willows and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nim.

With the storm raging Mona accidentally stumbles upon this little place of refuge and gets more than she bargained. With a wonderful cast of characters from the animal kingdom this is a story of friendship, courage and compassion. There is danger and adventure here but toned down for the targeted age.

With lovely penciled drawings scattered throughout I suggest either a print copy or reading in a tablet (sorry but a kindle won't do it justice).

Thanks to Disney Book Group for an ARC

Mona, an orphaned mouse, discovers that home is where the heart is when she happens upon a hotel inside the trunk of a tree. Heartwood Hotel sounds like a delightful and cozy place to visit with a heart carved into the door and the wonderful, kind creatures that reside inside. The story is fanciful and sweet. There are quite a few illustrations throughout the book as well. This is a book that would be perfect for readers who don't have the stamina yet for longer chapter books.

Heartwood Hotel, is just as endearing as it sounds. This book took me back to my childhood where you imagine animals such as Mona scurrying about, leading lives just like us humans, making friendships and finding “home”.
I was engaged in this book from the very beginning, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I needed sleep I would have read it straight through. Each character endearing…well perhaps not the wolves…but every other animal finding a place in my heart. It was one of those books that I was sad to see end…and then I discover it is just the beginning of the series, this gave me the biggest smile. I can’t wait to read more about Mona Mouse, Tilly, Mr Heartwood and the rest of the Heartwood Hotel staff and guests.
This story starts with a storm that sees Mona mouse trying to find her way to safety, when she happens upon Heartwood Hotel, a place that has more of a connection to her than she realises. Fortunately, hotel owner Mr Heartwood has a kind heart but the same cannot be said of Tilly the squirrel housekeeper, who sees Mona as nothing more than a threat. As we follow the adventures of the Heartwood Hotel and Mona we see that this little mouse has a beautiful heart and a talent for solving problems.
The characters are well developed and I can see as the series continues that we will get to know each character even more, I am particularly interested in learning about Mrs Higgins and being introduced to new guests.
The main character Mona, who is a strong mouse and displays confidence and courage is a wonderful role model for children.
This is altogether a beautifully crafted story and I recommend this read for 7 years and above.

Heartwarming tale of friendship, loyalty and family. A sudden storm forces Mona to flee her home and seek refuge in the Heartwood hotel where she not only finds safety from the storm but finds a new home and family. Her selfless acts save the guests and staff from the dangerous wolves and an almost certain death. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book of the series.

This is a delightful story for late primary readers who are ready for more difficult chapter books. It's the story of Mona, a mouse, and an animal hotel in the woods. Mona accidentally finds the hotel when her house is flooded and she ends up getting washed down a river. She stumbles upon a large tree and when she rubs her hand over the heart carved in the trunk, the hidden door opens. Heartwood Hotel, hidden in a tree, provides refuge for lost woodland creatures, safety as well as participation in several conventions and festivals, all within its cozy branches. Being homeless, she is offered a warm place to stay in exchange for work. Children will be amused by the delightful world within this Hotel, as well as the many life lessons that Mona learns and teaches others along the way. The various animals at the hotel are all varied and have different talents and interests. The owner, a badger named Mr. Heartwood, is kind and generous to a fault. The guests all have different needs that must be taken care of. It is a wonderful cast of characters. There is some adventure, problem solving as well as a little danger. This would make a nice read aloud in a primary class where there is a chapter read each day with some good discussions to follow. I really like the ideas about friendship, class structure as well as facing your fears and helping your friends. There is also lessons about loss, self-confidence and to some degree bullying. It is not in your face, but the ideas are all there. A good addition to a school or class library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

I am a sucker for animal stories- especially those with mice. In real life mice not so much, but literary mice are always excellent. Remember Disney's Cinderella? They were even good singers. In this book, Mona the mouse discovers the hotel by accident and becomes a maid at The Heartwood Hotel. The hotel was created as a place for small animals to take shelter while crossing the forest and now hosts week-long gatherings for festivals as well. Of course, all the animals have their secrets, and there are problems associated with the housing of so many different species in one tree, and I enjoyed hearing about the different bedding required for each floor. This would make an excellent read along if you were studying the forest biome. You can also get into a bit of literary analysis and discuss foreshadowing.

It is a good first chapter book for emergent readers and is interesting enough for even middle school kids who like animal stories. Bonus points for marking it book one so that we know it's going to be a series.

I found this book to be incredibly interesting and easily to adapt in a classroom setting.

I was so excited to see this first book in a new series from Kallie George. I love the Animal Adoption Agency series. George's stories are sweet and whimsical without getting bogged down in saccharine sentiment. In A True Home we are introduced to Mona the Mouse who has no family and becomes homeless in the first chapter. Lost and alone, Mona stumbles upon the Heartwood Hotel. She is given a night of shelter from the storm that flooded her home. One thing leads to another and soon Mona has a job for the season. It doesn't take her long to fall in love with the Heartwood and the people that live and work there. But Mona knows she'll have to move on at the end of the season. Will she ever find her true home? Lots of humor and quirky characters as well a plucky heroine that everyone will love make A True Home a book young readers will want to visit over and over again.

Curiously, in some ways, this felt like a marriage between The Wind in the Willows and Hotel for Dogs. It's the story of an animal hotel in the woods, run for small animals by small animals. The main character is a mouse that mistakenly discovers the hotel and is swept into service there.

This will likely be targeted at a younger middle grade audience, and though the peril is low for much of the story, it does provide adequate climactic adventure and a vague lurking sense of foreboding beforehand for those thrill-seeking readers in search of a dangerous tone. Though it all ties together as a single narrative, there is a sense that the reader might be able to equally enjoy it in a more episodic fashion as each chapter generally presents and solves its own problem.

In all, this was a nice book for the crowd that has graduated from early readers, but might not be ready for the heavier tone of middle grade novels. I enjoyed it, and I look forward to what comes next.

This is a delightful story of a little mouse named Nora who finds herself at the doorstep of the Heartwood Hotel after being swept away in a stream during a rain storm. Nora's life has not been an easy one, losing her parents at a young age and being forced to move from place to place. The rain storm is just one more trial for her to deal with, as are the hungry wolves nearby. She is looking for shelter when she comes across the big tree with a heart on the trunk, matching the trunk on her suitcase. She touches the heart out of curiosity and the door opens to a whole new world for her. This hotel and its menagerie of occupants gives her the confidance and courage to stand up for herself and for those around her, which comes in handy when the wolves get close to the hotel in search of food. I believe young readers will enjoy this story. It is a good chapter book for younger elementary and has a great story line for all ages. It is a great example for kids about how anyone, no matter what size, can rise to their potential. The artwork gets the basic idea across but I hope it is just preliminary and not the final product.

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

PS I would ignore the magazine reviews in the description of this book. They are clearly not for this book.