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The International House of Dereliction
In this not-so-scary ghost story from Jacqueline Davies, bestselling author of the Lemonade War series, quirky, tool-wielding Alice Cannoli-Potchnik begins to repair the dilapidated mansion next door—only to discover the old house is home to ghosts, and they need mending, too!
Home is where the heart is. But can a house have a heart of its own?
Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.
She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things?
But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it's the perfect new repair job!
As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been watching, and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business.
Will Alice be able to unravel the mysteries of the House and find her forever home . . . before it’s too late?
An ALSC Notable Children's Book
Home is where the heart is. But can a house have a heart of its own?
Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.
She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things?
But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it's the perfect new repair job!
As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been watching, and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business.
Will Alice be able to unravel the mysteries of the House and find her forever home . . . before it’s too late?
An ALSC Notable Children's Book
235 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2023
37 people are currently reading
5039 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Davies
44 books268 followersJacqueline Davies is the author of both novels and picture books. She lives in Needham, Massachusetts with her three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
June 3, 2023
All right, friends, get your pre-order buttons ready. Today I’m reviewing a soon-to-be-released middle grade book which jumped right onto my “Top 10” and “Better at least get a Newbery Honor” lists.
Here’s what the publisher had to say about Jacqueline Kelly’s The International House of Dereliction:
In this not-so-scary ghost story from Jacqueline Davies, bestselling author of the Lemonade War series, quirky, tool-wielding Alice Cannoli-Potchnik begins to repair the dilapidated mansion next door—only to discover the old house is home to ghosts, and they need mending, too!
Home is where the heart is. But can a house have a heart of its own.
Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.
She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things
But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it's the perfect new repair job!
As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been watching, and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business.
Will Alice be able to unravel the mysteries of the House and find her forever home ... before it’s too late.
Quirky is the right word! I loved Alice and her eccentric Cannoli-Potchnik family. I loved the lighthearted touch with the ghosts. I love the crazy, old house, and the interesting neighbors. It’s all very eccentric and quirky and lighthearted—and yet. The International House of Dereliction is somehow the most believable portrayal of homeschooling I’ve recently come across in a work of fiction. Alice’s education is clearly well-rounded, but she has immense amounts of freedom to pursue her passions. She repairs the International House by herself, and quite capably—and if this sounds unbelievable to you, I invite you to meet some ten-year-old homeschoolers. Admittedly, I only know a couple who’d be capable of home repair (I do have a few nephews who probably could have accomplished this when they were ten), but I know many who have achieved incredible levels of proficiency at the things they are passionate about.
I’m not saying all homeschoolers are like this. Guess what? There’s some totally average and completely below average homeschoolers, too—just like students you’d find in school. But what makes me excited is to finally see this side of homeschooling represented in a work of fiction. It feels like for many years we’ve been bombarded in fiction with the idea that homeschoolers need to be saved from their social ineptitude by a timely entrance into public school. Are there socially inept homeschoolers? Sure. Are they the majority? Let’s just say I know more homeschoolers who can capably put up drywall at age ten than homeschoolers who are socially inept.
I won’t devote all my review to the positive homeschooling rep, much as I could. But Jacqueline Davies deserves mention of her spectacular characterization, her deftly-handled descriptions, and her perfectly-timed and developed humor. I will never use this comparison lightly: at moments, the humor reminded me of P. G. Wodehouse. And I really can’t give any higher praise.
The International House of Dereliction releases in July, but is available for pre-order now. Be sure to add it to your TBR lists!
Here’s what the publisher had to say about Jacqueline Kelly’s The International House of Dereliction:
In this not-so-scary ghost story from Jacqueline Davies, bestselling author of the Lemonade War series, quirky, tool-wielding Alice Cannoli-Potchnik begins to repair the dilapidated mansion next door—only to discover the old house is home to ghosts, and they need mending, too!
Home is where the heart is. But can a house have a heart of its own.
Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.
She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things
But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it's the perfect new repair job!
As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been watching, and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business.
Will Alice be able to unravel the mysteries of the House and find her forever home ... before it’s too late.
Quirky is the right word! I loved Alice and her eccentric Cannoli-Potchnik family. I loved the lighthearted touch with the ghosts. I love the crazy, old house, and the interesting neighbors. It’s all very eccentric and quirky and lighthearted—and yet. The International House of Dereliction is somehow the most believable portrayal of homeschooling I’ve recently come across in a work of fiction. Alice’s education is clearly well-rounded, but she has immense amounts of freedom to pursue her passions. She repairs the International House by herself, and quite capably—and if this sounds unbelievable to you, I invite you to meet some ten-year-old homeschoolers. Admittedly, I only know a couple who’d be capable of home repair (I do have a few nephews who probably could have accomplished this when they were ten), but I know many who have achieved incredible levels of proficiency at the things they are passionate about.
I’m not saying all homeschoolers are like this. Guess what? There’s some totally average and completely below average homeschoolers, too—just like students you’d find in school. But what makes me excited is to finally see this side of homeschooling represented in a work of fiction. It feels like for many years we’ve been bombarded in fiction with the idea that homeschoolers need to be saved from their social ineptitude by a timely entrance into public school. Are there socially inept homeschoolers? Sure. Are they the majority? Let’s just say I know more homeschoolers who can capably put up drywall at age ten than homeschoolers who are socially inept.
I won’t devote all my review to the positive homeschooling rep, much as I could. But Jacqueline Davies deserves mention of her spectacular characterization, her deftly-handled descriptions, and her perfectly-timed and developed humor. I will never use this comparison lightly: at moments, the humor reminded me of P. G. Wodehouse. And I really can’t give any higher praise.
The International House of Dereliction releases in July, but is available for pre-order now. Be sure to add it to your TBR lists!
May 27, 2024
Can Alice help three spirits, Danny, Mugwort and Ivy finish their Unfinished Business of the Heart and move on to become Settled Ones?
If you liked The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery or think you would enjoy a story about ghosts/spirits that interact with humans in a nonthreatening way, this story about Alice who helps three spirits who live in the house next door is for you.
If you liked The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery or think you would enjoy a story about ghosts/spirits that interact with humans in a nonthreatening way, this story about Alice who helps three spirits who live in the house next door is for you.
September 4, 2023
Spooky Middlegrade
This was such a sweet and spooky haunted house story with quirky ghosts and a girl who just can’t help but fix things.
This was such a sweet and spooky haunted house story with quirky ghosts and a girl who just can’t help but fix things.
Read
January 1, 2024DNF - This book was pretty popular around Halloween. I ended up having to return it before I could finish. I may try and come finish it one of these days.
July 21, 2025
A soothing and heartfelt children’s story about love, grief, determination, and living outside the confines of society to create a better world. I loved this book and it’s wonderfully strong, dauntless, indomitable, determined, intelligent, crafty protagonist. What a fantastic role model for little girls. She falls well outside the normal parameters for a female child protagonist, being a self-motivated handywoman sneaking into a dilapidated house to fix it just for the satisfaction of it, and discovering a hoard of ghosts with unfinished business to help in the process. I loved how readily she faced every problem that arose, and the ways that she found to take them on. She was a force to be reckoned with and I respected the hell out of her. The cast of characters were all fun and unique, somewhat silly and over the top in a Roald Dahl kind of way that worked well in context. I loved all the commentary on the difference between a house and a home, and I loved the character given to the house itself. Overall, a unique and unexpected story that I’m delighted to have picked up on a whim. I expected it to be spooky—and it was, at times—but it turned out to be poignant and funny and lighthearted, for the most part, with some pretty heavy stuff woven in with such delicacy that you could almost miss it. Well done. Highly recommend ✨
February 10, 2023
Alice loves delving into history, repairing houses, and learning about various subjects. Her parents, a college professor and a building inspector, believe in letting Alice learn as she will in the theory of unschooling. When they move into a new house on the college campus, the house next door condemed and haunted. Alice decides to repair the "heart of the house" and help the ghosts become Settled instead of maybe becoming Forgotten. Alice is intellegent, precocious, determined, and stubborn. She does whatever she has to do to try to help the ghosts with their unfinished business - their history, decoding 1970's computer punch card poems, learning her own family history. Her parents take good care of her and clearly love her, but allow her to do whatever she liked all day without supervision and do not know that she is reparing the condemed home. An intresting look at ghosts and hauntings, well drawn characters. Worth the read.
January 2, 2024
Enjoyable gentle middle grade about Alice who helps the ghosts trapped in the ruined house next door finish their unfinished business.
September 17, 2023
I was mostly bored with the characters in the book.
November 9, 2025
Do not enter the International House of Dereliction! It might crumble to pieces right as you‘re standing in the midst of the shabby foyer. Also, it might completely encapsulate you with witty dialogue, a whimsical family, a scavenger hunt that takes you across the entire campus of a small town college and lastly: a house that‘s very much alive - but also doomed to demolition…
There‘s just something about middlegrade books about sentient houses that always gets me and this is a particularly special one.
Alice is a headstrong 10-year-old who is a perfect mix of the feisty character traits of her parents who couldn‘t be more different (or a better match for an upbeat, funny and loving partnership). This very family dynamic and relationship between the parents and their child was probably my favorite thing about this book.
It isn‘t however, what this book is about:
It‘s about the house next door to the family‘s new home: The condemned International House of Dereliction that is due for demolition. But when Alice enters the old house despite the danger of it, she can‘t help but fix it up, just a little. And in the process of spending her days sanding, painting, chiseling and fixing all sorts of things, she gets to know the house…and the spirits inhabiting it.
Suddenly it‘s not anymore about fixing material things. It‘s about helping those very spirits find peace and become settled, not forced to haunt the place of their death anymore. And fixing and helping is exactly what Alice is good at. Soon she‘s scurrying the aisles of the local library and hurrying from department to department on campus trying to tie up loose ends for her new ghost acquaintances.
This is not just an entertaining story but a book that had me in it‘s spell from page 1. Loveable characters, a cozy small-town setting, amazing dialogue and heartfelt relationships all encapsulated by whimsical writing. A perfect read for an evening by crackling fire and falling autumn leaves (or really anytime you want to read a really good middlegrade book).
There‘s just something about middlegrade books about sentient houses that always gets me and this is a particularly special one.
Alice is a headstrong 10-year-old who is a perfect mix of the feisty character traits of her parents who couldn‘t be more different (or a better match for an upbeat, funny and loving partnership). This very family dynamic and relationship between the parents and their child was probably my favorite thing about this book.
It isn‘t however, what this book is about:
It‘s about the house next door to the family‘s new home: The condemned International House of Dereliction that is due for demolition. But when Alice enters the old house despite the danger of it, she can‘t help but fix it up, just a little. And in the process of spending her days sanding, painting, chiseling and fixing all sorts of things, she gets to know the house…and the spirits inhabiting it.
Suddenly it‘s not anymore about fixing material things. It‘s about helping those very spirits find peace and become settled, not forced to haunt the place of their death anymore. And fixing and helping is exactly what Alice is good at. Soon she‘s scurrying the aisles of the local library and hurrying from department to department on campus trying to tie up loose ends for her new ghost acquaintances.
This is not just an entertaining story but a book that had me in it‘s spell from page 1. Loveable characters, a cozy small-town setting, amazing dialogue and heartfelt relationships all encapsulated by whimsical writing. A perfect read for an evening by crackling fire and falling autumn leaves (or really anytime you want to read a really good middlegrade book).
September 12, 2023
If you’re looking for a very-lightly-spooky, heartwarming story about a young girl who has a fascination with repairing broken things and how she helps a trio of ghosts with their unfinished business, look no further than The International House of Dereliction.
The writing style and whimsical nature of this story was reminiscent of Roald Dahl, Casper, Ghost Whisperer, and CBS’s Ghosts for me.
I did have to suspend disbelief at the idea of a child being allowed to roam across a college campus alone, borrow from the campus library, and chat with professors as she pleases, but this is a middle grade book so it’s to be expected at times.
Personally, this wasn’t my favorite story. I tend to gravitate towards spookier tales with a little more grit and real-life issues. I also wish the build up had a little bit more detailed of a pay off by the end. The last few chapters just went by a little too quickly, and I would have liked a different resolution for the presence in the attic.
But I thought it was sweet, and I think a lot of young readers will enjoy it.
The writing style and whimsical nature of this story was reminiscent of Roald Dahl, Casper, Ghost Whisperer, and CBS’s Ghosts for me.
I did have to suspend disbelief at the idea of a child being allowed to roam across a college campus alone, borrow from the campus library, and chat with professors as she pleases, but this is a middle grade book so it’s to be expected at times.
Personally, this wasn’t my favorite story. I tend to gravitate towards spookier tales with a little more grit and real-life issues. I also wish the build up had a little bit more detailed of a pay off by the end. The last few chapters just went by a little too quickly, and I would have liked a different resolution for the presence in the attic.
But I thought it was sweet, and I think a lot of young readers will enjoy it.
July 8, 2023
This book has such a lovely message. I love that Alice can look at things and see how she can bring them back to life again. You don’t get to read many books with girls who know enough about construction that they feel confident enough to take one rebuilding a house. Books that portray girls in roles we don’t always see them in make my heart happy. Anyone can truly be anything if they have a passion for it. This book just touches my heart. Finding a house that is haunted and trying to do everything not only to bring the house back to life, but also figure out how to help all its ghostly residents. This is just a heart-warming tale. I think kids are really going to enjoy it, and I look forward to recommending it, especially with Halloween coming up. Though to be honest this book is one I could easily recommend year-round.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.
December 14, 2024
Too slow, with a forced cuteness that feels shallow. Not funny.
April 24, 2025
A delightful YA story suitable for all ages ! Alice is a young girl whose mom is a professor and her dad, a building inspector. Alice’s parents are strong believers in self educating so she doesn’t attend a structured school . Alice misses out on friends her own age as well as a house that is home since her mom’s job has her moving to different colleges . Then , one day Alice discovers a house with ghostly inhabitants who need her help . It’s a fun story of family, friendship and independence.
December 28, 2022
Intriguing book in the beginning. Catchy opening. Quirky family. Endless possibilities. When the plot finally emerges, it stalls.
Alice's mother is a college professor. Her father is a building inspector. She's inquisitive like her mother, a fixer like her father. She especially loves fixing houses, which works out well since the college is constantly moving them from one run-down property to another. And since her parents have decided to unschool her, she has plenty of time to explore the run-down International House of Dereliction next door.
It begins with a little exploring. A subtle heartbeat. An illegal entry. A little fixing here. A little fixing there. And finally, an unexpected encounter with the spirits stuck in the house. Ivy. Mugwort. Dandelion. They are Past Dues, spirits who have unfinished business which prevents them from moving on. Since the house is condemned, time is of the essence. It's up to Alice to help these spirits recall their past so they can finish their unfinished business and move on.
The unique build-up in the beginning falls flat when Alice's parents fade into the background. I found them to be the most interesting characters in the book. The spirits are ho-hum, the in and out college staff even more so. The plot is nothing new. The interesting cover may garner some takers, but overall, not a stand out book.
Alice's mother is a college professor. Her father is a building inspector. She's inquisitive like her mother, a fixer like her father. She especially loves fixing houses, which works out well since the college is constantly moving them from one run-down property to another. And since her parents have decided to unschool her, she has plenty of time to explore the run-down International House of Dereliction next door.
It begins with a little exploring. A subtle heartbeat. An illegal entry. A little fixing here. A little fixing there. And finally, an unexpected encounter with the spirits stuck in the house. Ivy. Mugwort. Dandelion. They are Past Dues, spirits who have unfinished business which prevents them from moving on. Since the house is condemned, time is of the essence. It's up to Alice to help these spirits recall their past so they can finish their unfinished business and move on.
The unique build-up in the beginning falls flat when Alice's parents fade into the background. I found them to be the most interesting characters in the book. The spirits are ho-hum, the in and out college staff even more so. The plot is nothing new. The interesting cover may garner some takers, but overall, not a stand out book.
August 21, 2023
This ghostly mystery has way more heart than horror--it's one of those books I just wanted to hug at the end!
Ten-year-old Alice is equal parts her mother's family--the Cannolis, and her father's--the Potchniks. She's really good at repairing and restoring things which comes in handy when her family moves for the 11th time. Right next to a dilapidated, derelict house that seems to have... a heartbeat? And something that simmers and moves inside of walls.
Ten-year-old Alice is equal parts her mother's family--the Cannolis, and her father's--the Potchniks. She's really good at repairing and restoring things which comes in handy when her family moves for the 11th time. Right next to a dilapidated, derelict house that seems to have... a heartbeat? And something that simmers and moves inside of walls.
December 6, 2022
I read an ARC of this book and really enjoyed it. Although there are ghosts and dilapidated old houses, it suspenseful with being particularly scary, but not a cutesy ghost children's book either. The story is very entertaining while stressing the importance of not putting off important things in your life till it is too late.
September 4, 2023
Wow! I loved every minute of this book. Alice is an ideal main character, full of compassion and curiosity. When her family gets moved again, Alice is fascinated with the International House of Dereliction next door that has been condemned. Only 227 pages! Perfect for mystery fans.
August 27, 2023
I'd like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies. Upon seeing the cover and reading the synopsis of this kid's book, my interest was piqued. When I was approved to receive a copy for free in exchange for my honest review, I was delighted.
At first, I found this book to be a bit slow, and it reminded me ever so slightly of Leeva At Last by Sara Pennypacker because both of the main characters were kept home from school by their parents and were approximately the same age. Both of the main characters also got their education by learning on their own. However, that is where the similarities end. As I progressed through the storyline, it really picked up and became more interesting. I could even see this book being turned into a movie for kids. The characters were . . . well . . . quite quirky and endearing.
This ghost story was quite charming and not too scary. It's perfect for children between the ages of eight and twelve. I loved the lessons throughout the story, especially the one about remembering where you come from. Five out of five stars is what I give The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies.
At first, I found this book to be a bit slow, and it reminded me ever so slightly of Leeva At Last by Sara Pennypacker because both of the main characters were kept home from school by their parents and were approximately the same age. Both of the main characters also got their education by learning on their own. However, that is where the similarities end. As I progressed through the storyline, it really picked up and became more interesting. I could even see this book being turned into a movie for kids. The characters were . . . well . . . quite quirky and endearing.
This ghost story was quite charming and not too scary. It's perfect for children between the ages of eight and twelve. I loved the lessons throughout the story, especially the one about remembering where you come from. Five out of five stars is what I give The International House of Dereliction by Jacqueline Davies.
August 30, 2025
I am put off by a fantasy type book that there is no way any of it could happen. Which does make no sense since it is fantasy. The main character is 10 years old. There is no way that a 10 year old could repair homes like she does and yet I enjoyed this book. It was different and I didn't see the ending coming. I do wish we could have seen her tell her parents what happened and have them believe her but it didn't happen that way.
September 4, 2023
Oh. Oh oh oh! This one is a real winner. Giving Series of Unfortunate Events vocabulary vibes with the ghostly adventures of…I don’t know. This book is heartwarming and funny, but also sad at times. Themes of friendship, living life without regrets, and the value of old things. A perfect read aloud since it’s labeled a 6.5 grade level (or for an accomplished young reader). I loved this!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 23, 2024
I read this with my 9.5 year-old twins for a library book club. We liked it but thought it could have much shorter. Personally, I thought the last 20 pages were a bit ridiculous, but otherwise we enjoyed our time with these characters!
August 1, 2023
Great story and characters, good message. Listened to it with my 10 year old, audio was well done.
November 12, 2023
I love this book! The plot, the characters, the pacing, the humor. It was a comfort to read.
November 3, 2023
This has been the first middle grade book that has entertained the whole time. It really opened my eyes to how good a middle grade can actually be.
September 27, 2023
A very fun not-so-spooky ghost story. At times it becomes a little complicated keeping all the quirky characters (human and other worldly) and their plot lines straight but it’s worth the effort. Makes me want to get out some tools and fix something!
July 7, 2024
Listen…this book is so sweet. This book is a fun ghostly adventure. It made me feel just the right amount of worry and warm fuzzies. I love when an author gives me just enough hints/plot items and then ties everything up so perfectly that a second book isn’t needed. I will miss these characters though. My soul is still pining for them.
November 10, 2023
So CUTE!
August 25, 2023
What a delightful read! Alice is a young girl, happily living with her professor mom and tinkerer dad. She is homeschooled - more precisely - she is "unschooled". The best way to think of this is delight directed study. She finds things she is interested in and studies them. She listens to her mother's educational lectures (best lecturer ever!) and helps her dad with a multitude of projects. The university that her mom works for, however, is a bit sneaky. Every few years, the dean moves Alice and her family into a rundown home. Her dad, with Alice's help, fixes everything in the home that is broken. Then, the university sells the home for a tidy profit and relocates the family to yet another fixer-upper. But Alice's mom has decided this will not happen again so when they are forced to move into yet another run down home, dad and Alice are forbidden to fix anything. And that's where the real story begins. Next door to their run-down home is a condemned house - the International House of Dereliction. Alice is immediately intrigued and feels drawn to the house. So she sneaks in through the coal chute. Since she can't renovate her own home, she decides to renovate this one. The House thinks this is a great idea because, well, this house is sentient. And the resident ghosts also are happy to see Alice. Well, some of them are, anyway.
There's Ivy and Mugwort and Dandelion (aka Danny). They are all ghosts that are Past Due -- they died with unfinished business on earth and so they can't move on. And there's something in the attic - but everyone is afraid to talk about it. And Alice is forbidden to go near the attic. By the House. And the ghosts. So she sets about renovating the front parlor and also researching her new friends so she can help them resolve their unfinished business.
So there's a bit of spooky and a bit of mystery and a bit of zany, eccentric family. And it all works extremely well. This would make a wonderful read-aloud for a school class or family (3rd -5th). Or a great book to book talk in your library collection. Libraries play a very important role in the book.
The book also reinforces the concept of what makes a house a home and also the strength that Alice draws from her two loving parents and her family history.
There's Ivy and Mugwort and Dandelion (aka Danny). They are all ghosts that are Past Due -- they died with unfinished business on earth and so they can't move on. And there's something in the attic - but everyone is afraid to talk about it. And Alice is forbidden to go near the attic. By the House. And the ghosts. So she sets about renovating the front parlor and also researching her new friends so she can help them resolve their unfinished business.
So there's a bit of spooky and a bit of mystery and a bit of zany, eccentric family. And it all works extremely well. This would make a wonderful read-aloud for a school class or family (3rd -5th). Or a great book to book talk in your library collection. Libraries play a very important role in the book.
The book also reinforces the concept of what makes a house a home and also the strength that Alice draws from her two loving parents and her family history.
April 4, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Alice Cannoli-Potchnik is being raised in a small college town where her mother is a professor and her father is a building inspector. The college provides housing, and because the father is so good about renovating properties, the family is shuttled from one decrepit domicile to another. Alice is "unschooled", which means she is left on her own to pursue her own passion projects, checking in with the college library when she needs resources. When another move approaches, Professor Cannoli decides that moving so frequently is bad for Alice, and that the family will not renovate the property. While investigating her new surroundings, Alice notices that the property next door has been condemned. Still intrigued, she goes inside and notices that lovely fire place with Delft tiles. As a new project, she decides to replace the tiles and refurbish the woodwork, skills she has acquired helping her father. She also uses some windfall from a family garage sale to replace crystals in the chandelier. There are odd sounds in the house, and she soon hears voices. The house is pleased with her and gives its blessing to her projects, something she learns from a variety of spirits who dwell within the house. There's Ivy, a six year old who passed aways suddenly before a big trip; Mugwort, a Revolutionary War era soldier who fought with George Washington but died in his bed; and Danny, a computer science major who died in 1972 without letting Jenny, the love of his life, know of his emotions. They teach Alice about all of the ways that spirits can be trapped and unable to move on, and Alice helps them figure out what is holding them back. She finds computer punch cards, gets help retrieving the love poems from them, which she manages to deliver to Jenny, who happens to be a visiting professor at the college, in the nick of time. Danny moves on. She uncovers information about Mugwort's history, and directs him to make amends for his wartime profiteering by donating money to a Soldier's Home as well as the local cemetary. Ivy has a library book that wasn't returned, and just as Alice is about to search for it, word comes that the house is going to be torn down. Ivy thinks the book might be in the attic, but there is another spirit in the house, The Fury, who doesn't want to let Alice and Ivy investigate the attic. Alice needs to fight the spirit, who has an intriguing connection to her own family, and send Ivy on her way before the house is demolished, and also find a way for her family to stop being moved to different residences.
Strengths: I rather enjoyed reading this one since I'm a fan of old houses and their history, and the ghosts and the mission to send them to the light were well developed. Alice's sense of ability and agency is great to see, even if it hurt my feelings that all of her hard work to restore bits of the house was undone! The ghosts are all a bit scattered, but manage to retrieve important information about their backgrounds in order for Alice to help them move along, and her dedication to them was heartwarming. The bits of history, especially about the computer punch cards, were fun. There's a lot of figurative language and rich descriptions in this, which I don't remember from Davies' other books like Nothing But Trouble (2016) or The Lemonade War (2007) series.
Weaknesses: This had a quirky, almost British feel to it, something like Raskin's The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel). Also, I'm pretty sure that small colleges don't operate the way that this one does and that the Cannoli-Potchniks wouldn't have survived very long in their almost condemned house.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like a quirky, house-centered story like West's The Shadows or O'Reilly's The Secret of Goldenrod. I'm not sure that my students will pick it up, since they are adamant that ghosts should be murderously gory. More astute and nuanced readers who would themselves be successful at unschooling might enjoy this more.
Alice Cannoli-Potchnik is being raised in a small college town where her mother is a professor and her father is a building inspector. The college provides housing, and because the father is so good about renovating properties, the family is shuttled from one decrepit domicile to another. Alice is "unschooled", which means she is left on her own to pursue her own passion projects, checking in with the college library when she needs resources. When another move approaches, Professor Cannoli decides that moving so frequently is bad for Alice, and that the family will not renovate the property. While investigating her new surroundings, Alice notices that the property next door has been condemned. Still intrigued, she goes inside and notices that lovely fire place with Delft tiles. As a new project, she decides to replace the tiles and refurbish the woodwork, skills she has acquired helping her father. She also uses some windfall from a family garage sale to replace crystals in the chandelier. There are odd sounds in the house, and she soon hears voices. The house is pleased with her and gives its blessing to her projects, something she learns from a variety of spirits who dwell within the house. There's Ivy, a six year old who passed aways suddenly before a big trip; Mugwort, a Revolutionary War era soldier who fought with George Washington but died in his bed; and Danny, a computer science major who died in 1972 without letting Jenny, the love of his life, know of his emotions. They teach Alice about all of the ways that spirits can be trapped and unable to move on, and Alice helps them figure out what is holding them back. She finds computer punch cards, gets help retrieving the love poems from them, which she manages to deliver to Jenny, who happens to be a visiting professor at the college, in the nick of time. Danny moves on. She uncovers information about Mugwort's history, and directs him to make amends for his wartime profiteering by donating money to a Soldier's Home as well as the local cemetary. Ivy has a library book that wasn't returned, and just as Alice is about to search for it, word comes that the house is going to be torn down. Ivy thinks the book might be in the attic, but there is another spirit in the house, The Fury, who doesn't want to let Alice and Ivy investigate the attic. Alice needs to fight the spirit, who has an intriguing connection to her own family, and send Ivy on her way before the house is demolished, and also find a way for her family to stop being moved to different residences.
Strengths: I rather enjoyed reading this one since I'm a fan of old houses and their history, and the ghosts and the mission to send them to the light were well developed. Alice's sense of ability and agency is great to see, even if it hurt my feelings that all of her hard work to restore bits of the house was undone! The ghosts are all a bit scattered, but manage to retrieve important information about their backgrounds in order for Alice to help them move along, and her dedication to them was heartwarming. The bits of history, especially about the computer punch cards, were fun. There's a lot of figurative language and rich descriptions in this, which I don't remember from Davies' other books like Nothing But Trouble (2016) or The Lemonade War (2007) series.
Weaknesses: This had a quirky, almost British feel to it, something like Raskin's The Mysterious Disappearance of Leon (I Mean Noel). Also, I'm pretty sure that small colleges don't operate the way that this one does and that the Cannoli-Potchniks wouldn't have survived very long in their almost condemned house.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like a quirky, house-centered story like West's The Shadows or O'Reilly's The Secret of Goldenrod. I'm not sure that my students will pick it up, since they are adamant that ghosts should be murderously gory. More astute and nuanced readers who would themselves be successful at unschooling might enjoy this more.
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