The Winter of the Dollhouse

by Laura Amy Schlitz

“In the small-scale world of Laura Amy Schlitz’s novel The Winter of the Dollhouse, the emotional stakes are both intimate and enormous. . . . [She] is a masterly storyteller.” —The New York Times Book Review

This captivating coming-of-age story is touching, funny, and beautifully layered, with a fairy-tale ending that only Newbery Medalist Laura Amy Schlitz could deliver.

On a gloomy November night, eleven-year-old Tiphany Stokes saves an old lady from collapsing in the street. An antique doll named Gretel watches them, longing for Tiph to rescue her from life in a shop window. Though none of these three characters realizes it, their worlds are about to change: Gretel will no longer be a precious prisoner. The old lady—is she a witch?—will discover the secret hidden in her long-neglected dollhouse. And Tiph—whose parents rejoice that she is “never any trouble”—will become a thief, a dog walker, an actor, and best of all, a friend.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens, Audiobook, Fiction, Magical Realism, Family

400 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2025

About the author

Laura Amy Schlitz is an American author of children's literature. She is a librarian and storyteller at The Park School in Brooklandville, Maryland.

She received the 2008 Newbery Medal for her children's book entitled Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,[1] and the 2013 Newbery Honor for her children's book, Splendors and Glooms.[2] She also won the 2016 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, the 2016 National Jewish Book Award, and the Sydney Taylor Book Award for her young adult book, The Hired Girl. Her other published books are The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug For Troy (2006), A Drowned Maiden's Hair: A Melodrama (2006), which won a Cybils Award that year, The Bearskinner: A Tale of the Brothers Grimm (2007), The Night Fairy (2010).

Schlitz attended Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, and graduated in 1977.

Reviews

[DaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl, an old lady and a doll meet - sort of - on a November afternoon. Their lives will never be the same. One will become a thief, well maybe she was already a thief. One will become a renovator, but not an electrician. The other will become a stowaway, living a secret life, with the comfort of tissues donated by an imperious cat.

I haven’t really figured out how to talk about this book yet. For me it is perfection but talking about the secret lives of dolls, or prickly 11-year olds who befriend, or are befriended, by old ladies, makes it feel mundane and rehashed material. It is anything but. Schultz is a master at creating deep and complex characters, even for a simple minded dog. I delighted in how genuine and flawed Tiph is, how prickly and sneaky. Even when I hoped she would make better choices.The world of the dolls in enchanting and their interpretation of our world so funny. There is an historical element to Silvia’s story as well, that took my breath away.

As a child, I would have loved this. I adored creating small worlds for Barbies and other dolls out of bits and pieces around our house. We were not a family that would have a doll house. As an old lady, I get the thrill of creating something my younger self would have loved. Schiltz has delivered a story to both ends of my life.

[Gina House · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this award winning middle grade book. Overall, I really liked it.

But, in some ways, it was truly exhausting to read because it evoked a roller coaster of strong emotions for me—including frustration at the clueless parents, deep concern for Tiphany, strong dislike of the dollhouse store owner and gratitude for Neni Szilvia.

The Winter of the Dollhouse reminds me of the Toy Story movie because it just runs havoc with your heart with its ups, downs and everything in between. For a middle grade chapter book, this story has a lot of tension!

Laura Amy Schiltz is clearly a talented writer with a wonderful imagination. I just couldn't give this book a 5 star review because, personally, I prefer a middle grade book that is more calm, lighthearted and fun rather than one that teaches hard lessons and has the reader experiencing the suffering of a young person. There is already so much suffering in every day life.

I loved the Christmas and New Year's Eve scenes at the end of the book most. Even though there was a lot of serious subject matter, I still appreciated the richly drawn characters and the unique story. I love children, dollhouses and books with a hint of hope at the end. Because The Winter of the Dollhouse ticked those boxes for me, I do recommend this book. (Especially if you also love anthropomorphic tales with dolls, cats and dogs!)

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

a beautiful, moving book about a girl, Tiph, who is snarled by life journeying toward self-knowledge and contentment with the help of an old lonely woman who shares her love for doll houses and miniatures, and also with the help of a doll who comes to life when no one is watching. It was hard going for me in the middle when Tiph's snarled-ness is at its worst, but the lovely, moving, hug of an ending made it all worthwhile. Excellent doll house content as well.

[Emily McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cozy and heartwarming, but with the multi-dimensional characters, depth, and lovely language of Laura Amy Schlitz. (And if you haven’t ever read LAS’s books, you can’t go wrong with any of them!)

This would be a great read aloud for families with a range of ages. Boys and older kids might be reluctant at first, but I think they’ll warm to it as they get to know the characters.

[Monica Edinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

enchantin old fashioned

[Katy O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely precious and magical story! This reads very much like a timeless classic and I chose the perfect time to read it - in the days leading up to, and in, Christmas Day. The book takes place in the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day so I was spot on! This book is required for all elementary libraries and would be a beautiful read aloud at home to precocious kiddos in 1st - 4th grade and a delightful solo for the upper range of that and higher. This is for the kids (and adults!) who love dolls and possess a whimsical imagination. Loved it.

Source: public library hardcover

[Mari Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so wonderfully cozy and magical. The author truly brings the story to life in a way that fully immerses you.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very, very sweet. You really grow to love all of the characters. It’s got both fantastical elements, with the talking dolls, and feels very grounded in day to day reality so lovers of both fantasy and realistic fiction could be interested. I think it would be a great family read aloud! I cried multiple times and was both happy with the ending and sad it was over.

[Tess Evens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!! 🥹 It felt nostalgic, warm, cozy, AND had multidimensional characters with a great storyline. I highly recommend for the holiday season and all ages! I can’t wait to read this book with my kids someday 🥰

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always loved miniatures and dollhouses, and was a fan of Rumer Godden's dollhouse books, so this book about an antique doll who longs to be played with twanged my heartstrings. Bonus points for the heartwarming (but not overly sentimental) cross-generational friendship between the young girl who feels she doesn't fit into her family and a lonely older Hungarian woman in the neighborhood. When the girl helps the woman with her runaway dog they discover that they both love dolls and beautiful miniatures, and the old woman shows her a dollhouse that was made by her father and is in desperate need of renovation. I also loved the dog and cat's points of view. The whole book was just a pleasure.

[Pages & Cup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much! The character development is fantastic and the end is absolutely heartwarming.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A feel good story with a bit of mystery! I want to have a doll house again and enjoy a second childhood 😁

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a long while I wanted to give this book 2 stars. Then 5. Then 3. *Sigh*. I finally decided to settle on 3.5 stars, rounded up.

First off, I believe the author does an excellent job with character development. She helps us get to know Gretel, Red, Szilvia, Tiph, Loki, and Flosshilde very well. The story is intriguing, and I love watching Tiph learn how to get along with her classmates. And at the end, I love learning pieces of Szilvia's backstory.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I think the author would make a horrible mother. She completely downplays the significance of the $350 theft, and encourages children to keep important secrets from their parents in order to avoid getting in trouble. Even the heroes of the story - Nana Szilvia, and more especially the aunt at the end, encourage this terrible behavior. The author seems to agree with these points of view.

In the middle, I felt that the imagination of the dolls was fascinating, but the staircase was too much; imagining it was fine, but... . Also, the author clearly thinks cats are smarter than dogs. Science doesn't think so, but you can tell she is a little prejudiced.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so grateful to the good people at Dear Author for recommending this. It may be the end of the year but this is one of my faves. It made me cry. And the cover is perfection.

I'll write more later if I can but I'm tired, overworked and sad at Christmas.

What a beautiful story of a friendship that reaches across decades.

Also, Flosshilde, the queen of cats.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
This is a longer book than I typically choose, but knowing the author’s prior work, I had to give it a try. I was not disappointed, and I could not put it down. This is a 2025 favorite!

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This sounded like a heartwarming winter read, and while I enjoyed the premise of the dolls that are alive and the Grandma- like neighbor sharing a love of dolls and teaching a girl good manners, it fell a little flat for me. It was really just way too long. I almost lost interest entirely half way through. Much of what happens is pretty predictable, so the fact that it took so long to tell was disappointing. Could have been half as long.

[Emily Beckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I I love this book! And I also have ballet shoes borrowed from the library. I haven’t read ballet shoes yet, but I bet it’s a good book. back to the winter of the dollhouse, it was such a good book. A few parts I didn’t like was how she was so bratty and mean to her mom and she hates babies . But The rest of the book was good, really good,I can’t really pick my favorite part. Reading the book made me want to get a Victorian doll house with dolls and furniture.

[Kaylie Angell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book and am sad to give it only 3 stars. Reading this as a nightly read-aloud to my children, had me instantly compelled. I love stories where children form special friendships with the elderly, and the friendship in this story was what held most of our attention. However, I did not think Tiph was a very likable or relatable character for my family, and her conceited thoughts on stage and hatred towards babies was very difficult to read to my children. We had lots of discussion on things she could have tried to do to help her classmates succeed on stage, rather than put them down repeatedly in her head. I understand children naturally have these thoughts at times, but it felt constant for her character.

We were also incredibly disappointed in the aunt's advice for Tiph to NOT tell her parents about the theft. I imagine most parents wanting to know if their child stole a $350 doll. Hiding this will only cause more problems in the long term, and she shouldn't be advised to "protect" her parents from the truth. So we had lots of discussions about that as well, and theft in general.

I also wish some of Neni Szilvia's family's story in the last chapter was spread out throughout the story. It felt very heavy as a closing chapter in a children's novel.

We did enjoy many parts throughout the story. It's disappointing there were such negative messages that sadly made the enjoyable parts fall flat.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Schlitz does a stellar job of intertwining two plot threads here: Tiph’s life with all its real world woes and that of the doll Gretel, who imagines eating and slides down banisters that don’t exist. I am a sucker for intergenerational friendships; Tiph and Szivlia’s burgeoning relationship is pitch perfect. This book really warmed the cockles of my cold middle-aged heart and yet managed to tackle some weighty issues and dispense sage life advice with getting preachy. Why have I not read all of this author’s works?

Thanks to Candlewick for the advance review copy.

[Barb Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author has so many layers to her stories. The young reader is going to take out a different story than the adult. The young girl in this tale has a stepmother and the exploration of the complexities of the relationship overlaid with the fairy tales of the wicked stepmother make for an interesting juxtaposition. Then the author turns the trope upside down and the way the story unfolds is fascinating because it shows how adults make mistakes. Kids make mistakes and what do we learn from it? Do we learn from it? This author doesn’t shy from tough topics and she presents strong female characters that are flawed yet reflective and honest.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

For whatever reason, the cover of this amazing novel made me think I wouldn’t really like it. On the contrary, I found it totally delightful with beautifully fleshed-out characters—even the dolls—a compelling plot development, never heavy-handed or awkwardly contrived. I loved the jump between reality and fantasy. I especially loved the friendship between Tiph and Szilvia. And, Tiph’s relationship with her parents felt uncomfortably real. Even the historical content was deftly woven into the story, never awkward. Well done. Highly recommend for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade readers. It definitely brought back of my own childhood fascination with dollhouses and all things tiny.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could give this 10 stars! It’s a middle grade level book but has around 300 pages. A young girl meets an older woman and forms a deep friendship as she helps her with her pets. They begin remodeling a dollhouse and we’re let into the secret life of the dolls. This book reminds me of The Indian in the Cupboard with great characters and realistic problems.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable, middle grades fiction! For all the little girls who love playing with dolls, it’s perfect! I love that the dolls have their own little lives and come to life when the people aren’t around, and of course I love how they can talk to the dog and cat as well! Thankful to Libro FM for this free ALC!

[Kary H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheer perfection.

[Morton Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intergenerational friendship | Whimsical | Well-developed characters (appeal terms from NoveList) - Emma

[Laura Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely story! I just love intergenerational friendships!!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. It is meant for a tween audience but as an adult I really enjoyed it.

[Chai4anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult reader who grew up on Rumer Godden’s “Miss Happiness and Miss Flower” and “Little Plum,” and Rachel Field’s “Hitty: Her First Hundred Years,” I had a lot of fun reading this book. I'm not so sure how many modern children will, though, unless they're very good readers with a lot of patience for both talking dolls and adult points of view.

There’s a lot here for the right reader to love. Ten-year-old Tiph, who has just moved to a new town and whose squabbling parents are too caught up in their grown-up concerns (a baby in diapers, a still-un-toilet-trained toddler with medical challenges and speech delays, money, and debates about whether or not to have another child) to pay much attention to her or realize just how lonely she is. Neni Szilvia, the grumpy old lady who hires Tiph to walk her dog while she recovers from surgery, and eventually becomes exactly the kind of attentive, non-judgmental, dollhouse-loving, toast-and-tea (or spiced cocoa!)-making substitute grandmother Tiph really needs. The loud-voiced teacher at school who recognizes Tiph's acting talent and promotes it. The step-aunt in California who is overwhelmed by the newborn twins her sister, Tiph’s stepmom Holly, covets--but is infinitely better at talking to a ten-year-old. The toy-store owner who doesn't like children but whose bark turns out to be just a little bit worse than his bite. Not to mention Loki, Neni Szilvia's bumbling bulldog, who doesn't bite anyone but comes to Tiph’s defense when she really needs it; Flosshilde, Szivia’s thoroughly arrogant and self-centered—or in other words, completely cat-like—cat; and of course the shy doll Gretel and the story of her blossoming friendship with the rambunctious Red, a Little Red Riding Hood doll who, unlike Gretel, has actually been played with, which makes her much less valuable to the toystore owner and his customers, but much more so to her new friend.

This is a very cozy and enjoyable book that I found deeply satisfying in many ways, but it does have some issues that I wish a friend or editor had persuaded the writer, Laura Amy Schlitz, to do something about before publishing. Tiph's parents have ridiculously high expectations for her and frustratingly low ones for themselves. What kind of adult responds to a child's willingly offered apology for a mildly rude outburst—no swearing, just a cry that maybe the reason Neni Szilvia didn’t gush over Tiph’s baby sister or Holly's muffins was because she didn’t like watching the baby drop food all over her floor, and the uber-healthy, unsweetened muffins taste “lousy”—by saying, "I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry you felt free to speak to me that way"? And then goes on to freeze the child out for days on end as "punishment"—something that apparently happens regularly enough that Tiph recognizes the pattern and knows what to expect? All this from a stepmother who, we’re supposed to believe, actually loves her stepdaughter dearly and is loved by her--and from her father, too? I’m no fan of the no-rules, whatever-the-little-darlings-want-to-do-goes style of modern parenting, but this disturbed me. I'd go as far as to call it borderline abusive.

I was almost as weirded out by Tiph's ongoing pattern of condemning herself for saying or thinking the most mildly "mean" things to or about her parents, when she’s a ten-year-old--and one who's expected to change diapers and babysit every day (for not one but two younger siblings), and at the same time somehow adjust to life in a new town and a new school where she doesn't have any friends. And it seemed beyond bizarre that her stepmother would lecture her for not having told an old lady she was only just beginning to be friends with about her mother’s long-ago death (which she doesn’t even remember), while also insisting that Tiph ought to be willing to work for the old lady for free, just to be helpful, and then becoming jealous of Tiph’s relationship with this woman and criticizing her to Tiph. Tiph's eventual realization that Holly is, in fact, jealous and her attempts to reassure her stepmother read as infinitely more mature than anything we see Holly doing, even once Holly finally graps the idea that getting to act in the school production of “The Wizard of Oz” matters enough to Tiph that Holly really should change her own plans and show up to watch her stepdaughter perform. So mature that I found it hard to buy, actually. I couldn't really picture any ten-year-old being able to understand what was bothering Holly, who is not someone new in her life that she's having to figure out for the first time, or to articulate to the only mother she’s ever known that she does in fact see her as her real mom and loves her as that. I would think it would be too big and too close to even begin to grapple with at that age, even with help from a wise old grandmother-figure like Neni Szilvia.

Tiph’s relationship with her stepmother and with Neni Szilvia are only part of this book, of course. Just as important is Tiph’s longing for the doll Gretel, and Gretel’s for her. When Tiph impulsively steals Gretel from the antique-toy store, her action sets off a plotline involving the angry shop owner, the thoughtful and observant Neni Szilvia, and Tiph’s own sense of herself—but it also sets up one about Gretel trying to cover up Tiph’s crime by escaping from her coat pocket and hiding in Neni Szilvia’s house, and then (with the help of Red, and Neni Szilvia’s cat and dog) to find a way to reunite with her without getting her in trouble. This part of the story is charming at times, and is intricately worked into the main plot and essential to its resolution, but it does make the story much longer than books for this age group typically are, and it tends to feel as if it were written for a much younger audience than the main storyline—an audience that isn’t too old for dolls, doesn’t mind reading the same actions and dialogue twice (once from Tiph’s point of view and then again from Gretel’s), and doesn’t care that the magical elements in the dolls’ behavior are at times wildly inconsistent. (Gretel seems to know a lot of things about human behavior that she shouldn’t have been able to observe from the box in a closet where she has spent her life; she and Red can move and talk and feel hunger, but can’t actually eat; they can create imaginary staircases in imaginary parts of a dollhouse and climb them, but they can't move around human-sized stairs or furniture the same way, and need a cord to climb or a cat willing to pick them up and carry them.)

In spite of the carefully constructed connections between the dolls’ story and Tiph’s, I can’t help wondering if this book wouldn’t have worked better as two shorter, separate books aimed at different age groups, rather than the single long one it is. But I still thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and am happy to give it a permanent place on my shelves.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Children don't cry from happy very much, but grown-ups do."
^ AND HOW!

One of my friends named this among her top 12 reads of the year, and while I haven't read Schlitz's children's books before, The Hired Girl was a 5-star read and I love dollhouses, so I took her up on the rec. I figured I'd at least like it, but it soared past my expectations -- I savored it over two nights and frequently found myself overwhelmed by emotions in the best way.

So buckle up, I have a lot of feelings and they tend to come spilling out in the form of excessive rambles.

First of all, I want to be Mrs. Rozsahegyi when I grow up (though ideally without the divorce). Literally, it is part of my dream to meet a like-minded child with whom I can share my personal interests. I will settle for being rich enough to have a house and a cat and a dog and enough cash to buy whatever I want for my (still-hypothetical) dollhouse. But I would also like to be her, personality-wise. More on this in a minute.

A large part of what makes this book so brilliant is that Laura Amy Schlitz is one of those rare writers who really makes me remember what it felt like to BE a child. Just incredible insight. She also bestows this wisdom upon Neni Szilvia, who not only remembers the feeling, but is able to channel her adult wisdom in a way that not only allows Tiph to see that she understands, but helps her understand why adults (like parents) are the way that they are. And yes, I also love that the two of them are in agreement that babies ain't all that.

And, although in a couple of places this is unnecessarily repetitive, I loved the way chapters traded off between the Tiph's perspective, and that of the Gretel doll's (in a magical realism world where they can not only move and talk to each other, but also talk with cats and dogs, who each speak in their own distinctive ways). I loved the friendship -- a little doubtful on Gretel's part at first -- that forms between her & Red in the shop window, not to mention the adventures they get up to on their own.

I loved the idea that dolls have to be played with in order to learn how to come alive/speak, and that when shut away for long periods they simply go back to sleep. But most of all I love the idea that dolls a) prefer to be owned by children who play with them rather than boring grown-up collectors, and b) do not mind having multiple owners in their lifetime if it means they are continually enjoyed by children, which I think is a very helpful mindset to introduce to kids.

I also REALLY loved the majestic Flosshilde, with her floaty-smoke tail and regal, queenly demeanor (especially juxtaposed with bulldog Loki, who's all slightly-dumb but enthusiastic and optimistic energy).

Back to the humans: I very specifically like that Mrs. Rozsahegyi/Neni Szilvia is Hungarian. That's one of many things that makes this story feel a little old-fashioned, because while there is limited diversity in this book, families of eastern European heritage were often the outsiders in mid-century juvenile fiction, and DID count as diversity, complete with education about a different cultural background. (Case in point, there's a whole spelling, pronunciation & grammar lesson involved just in giving her name here.)

If you're looking for dollhouse-decorating detail, there is plenty here to satisfy, from the items in the store to the ones chosen to decorate the house -- including wallpaper, and even attempts at wiring it for electricity.

As for Tiph, she's easy to sympathize with and also very familiar to readers in this demographic, I think -- raised (and happily so) by a stepmother, her own having died when she was too little to remember much...but now starting to feel overlooked by her parents because they're so focused on the care of her very young half-siblings. There's also a nice little lesson in here about impulsivity and sticky fingers, and why that is not okay, even if it is understandable that it feels like something you, with the very limited power and means of a child, can control.

And I LOVED the final lesson, that her aunt tells her she in fact does *not* need to confess the thefts to her parents, because then they'd feel like they had to punish her. But she's already confessed to multiple other adults, has expressed remorse and made amends and restitution for it, so what would be gained from upsetting them now? Any time a children's book veers AWAY from "truth is paramount at all costs," and aims for nuance instead, I'm over the moon.

I also really loved the way she found a passion for acting via her role in the school's original adaptation of The Wizard of Oz, and her first forays into friendship with people her own age that way as well.

And finally: I absolutely loved the scene that sparked the hardest of happy tears: Mrs. Rozsahegyi's discovery of little Piroska, hidden inside a stuck closet, inside a puzzle box along with a letter from her father -- a father who never stopped missing the little girl he never saw again. brb, SOBBING

The sole aspect I did not like was Philip, who is introduced as such a disgusting child with such a disgusting slobber habit that I thought he might dock this to a 4-star read even if everything else went right. Thankfully, though, he gets less page time as the story goes on; at one point I even forgot about him.

Two quick thoughts on the physical appearance before I wrap it up:

-I haaaate the swirl pattern drawn around the bottom corners of Gretel's chapters, because when the book is closed, the ink visible on the page edges makes it look speckled with mold.

-On positive side: I'm so glad that I now understand the cover illustration with its vanishing spiral staircase (because it's imaginary! but real enough for doll use once imagined)
-------------------
Bottom line: sweet, charming, whimsical, oh-so-good sweetness with a lot of emotion and heart.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolute treasure. Modern, but with a classic enduring feeling. The dollhouse play is enchanting and Tiph is a lovely main character. The friendship between her Neni Szilvia is sweet and believable. The references to Ballet Shoes were very pleasing to me :)
An ode to imagination, friendship, and play.