The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere, Volume 1

When Olive and her parents move into an old Victorian house it almost seems too good to be true. The old lady who lived there before had no living heirs, so all of her possessions (read: all of her old stuff) was inherited by Olive's family. The house is filled with furniture, old books, and most importantly tons of antique paintings. One day, while exploring the house, Olive notices a quick, but small movement in one of the paintings and senses that she's being watched.

After further explorations, she finds a pair of spectacles that allow her to enter any one of the paintings in the house. When she returns to the particularly strange painting, she meets a young boy named Morton who is particularly annoying and sets in motion a series of events that lead Olive to the truth about the old house, it's former inhabitants, and most importantly herself.

This story is cleverly written and just creepy enough to keep older tweens interested. Olive is a lonely and very intelligent and curious young girl. As she sets out to find out exactly what is happening in the paintings in her new house she makes some new feline friends who attempt to guide her and keep her safe. The conclusion of the mystery will surprise even the most astute readers and mystery solvers. Fans of Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman will enjoy spending time with this young quirky protagonist.

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West, Jacqueline. (2010). The Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. 241 pages. ISBN: 978-0-803-73440-1.

website for the book: http://www.thebooksofelsewhere.com/
Ages 9-11
Rating: High Additional
2010 Cybils Award Winner