A while back I picked up a middle-grade novel entitled The Books of Elsewhere #1 The Shadows by Jacqueline West. Reading about Olive and her family was a similar experience for me as reading Roald Dahl’s The Witches or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh: I just knew it was going to become one of those series that everyone is talking about in a couple of years. Well, since you love us and we love you, I am here to tell you about it now, before it becomes trendy! I have also tested my theory on one of our Oz customers, Sophie Creath, and she agrees!
The Dunwoody’s just moved into 
Old Ms. McMartin’s old house, and there is definitely something weird about the house. It’s not just that all of Ms. McMartin’s stuff is still in the house, or that the basement is creepy, but the paintings move. And all of them are glued to the walls. Not to mention the cat that Olive is sure spoke to her and told her his name was Horatio. What has Olive gotten herself into? And as she gets to know the people in the paintings and the cats (yes, there are three) who should she trust? Olive is going to have to figure out 1. if she is crazy, 2. if cats can really talk, 3. if a painting can be alive, and 4. if the shadow in the basement are moving on their own.
Sophie says, “I loved The Books of Elsewhere: The Shadows because it was the kind of book I love – ghostly fiction. I liked it because of the characters. I thought they had unusual and crazy personalities and the author used interesting ways to describe them. Olive,the 11 year-old main character, moves into the McMartin house and she realizes it is strange. She thinks the house is trying to keep secrets from her. And when she meets a strange cat she knows the house and cat are keeping secrets from her…”
I thought this book was creative and fast-paced, perfect for these hot days that we are having. I would love to see what y’all think about it, so please comment here!
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