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Mandie #4
Mandie and the Forbidden Attic
What can be causing the mysterious noises in the school attic? How can Mandie and her friends find out without getting into trouble? Ages 8-13.
128 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1985
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516 people want to read
About the author
Lois Gladys Leppard
120 books289 followersLois Gladys Leppard was the author of the Mandie series of children's novels. Leppard wrote her first Mandie story when she was only eleven and a half years old, but did not become a professional author until she was an adult. Leppard has also worked as a professional singer, actress, and playwright. At one time, she and her two sisters, Sybil and Louise, formed a singing group called the Larke Sisters.
There are forty Mandie books in the main series, an eight-book junior series and several other titles. Leppard said that she could write a Mandie book in two weeks, barring any interruptions.
The eponymous heroine lives in North Carolina in the early 1900s, encountering adventure and solving mysteries with help from her friends, family, and pet cat, Snowball. These young reader novels are meant to teach morals as well as be fun and captivating stories to read. Leppard stated that her books contain "nothing occult or vulgar", and Mandie is depicted as a faithful Christian. The Mandie books often deal with issues of discrimination and prejudice relating to race (particularly with regard to the local Cherokee), class, and disability.
Lois Gladys Leppard based some of the incidents in her Mandie books on her mother's experiences growing up in North Carolina. The dedication in the first book is: "For My Mother, Bessie A. Wilson Leppard, and In Memory of Her Sister, Lillie Margaret Ann Wilson Frady, Orphans of North Carolina Who Outgrew the Sufferings of Childhood".
There are forty Mandie books in the main series, an eight-book junior series and several other titles. Leppard said that she could write a Mandie book in two weeks, barring any interruptions.
The eponymous heroine lives in North Carolina in the early 1900s, encountering adventure and solving mysteries with help from her friends, family, and pet cat, Snowball. These young reader novels are meant to teach morals as well as be fun and captivating stories to read. Leppard stated that her books contain "nothing occult or vulgar", and Mandie is depicted as a faithful Christian. The Mandie books often deal with issues of discrimination and prejudice relating to race (particularly with regard to the local Cherokee), class, and disability.
Lois Gladys Leppard based some of the incidents in her Mandie books on her mother's experiences growing up in North Carolina. The dedication in the first book is: "For My Mother, Bessie A. Wilson Leppard, and In Memory of Her Sister, Lillie Margaret Ann Wilson Frady, Orphans of North Carolina Who Outgrew the Sufferings of Childhood".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 13, 2024
A cutesy mystery adventure that is fun for a kid at heart like me.
July 10, 2025
Where to even start 🤣 I adored the mystery "in the attic" premise of this book, of course. So fun. But it did feel like it took forever to solve. 😁
Mandie is a mess ~ such a firecracker, full of curiosity, but with the biggest heart. It was hard not to get super frustrated with her in this book though, because her defiance against authority happened over and over. Granted, the schoolmistress is evil and came up with ridiculous rules, but still.
I'm hoping that's part of her transformation as the stories go on.
The way the dialect of different people groups (there are many) is literally spelled out on the page in dramatic fashion is annoying. Sorry. I just think it's overdone. It slows me down and takes me way out of the story.
However, I was surprised by what WAS in the attic and it's pretty fun to read this low-key, middle grade mystery for me (for the first time) as an adult. I adore the faith content, the humor, and the overall coming of age for this interesting girl and her friends.
On to book #5! ✨✨
Mandie is a mess ~ such a firecracker, full of curiosity, but with the biggest heart. It was hard not to get super frustrated with her in this book though, because her defiance against authority happened over and over. Granted, the schoolmistress is evil and came up with ridiculous rules, but still.
I'm hoping that's part of her transformation as the stories go on.
The way the dialect of different people groups (there are many) is literally spelled out on the page in dramatic fashion is annoying. Sorry. I just think it's overdone. It slows me down and takes me way out of the story.
However, I was surprised by what WAS in the attic and it's pretty fun to read this low-key, middle grade mystery for me (for the first time) as an adult. I adore the faith content, the humor, and the overall coming of age for this interesting girl and her friends.
On to book #5! ✨✨
March 8, 2016
About this book:
“What can be causing the mysterious noises in the school attic? How can Mandie and her friends find out without getting into trouble?”
Series: Book #4 in “Mandie” series. (Read #1’s review Here! #2 Here! And #3 Here!) {There also is the “Young Mandie Mystery” series, (Book #1 review Here and Book #2 review Here!) but they do not connect together well}
Spiritual Content- Proverbs 22:6 at the beginning; Talks about God & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Prayers & Blessings over food; Church going; Bible reading & Bible studies; A few Scriptures are quoted, mentioned, and prayed; A couple mentions of Heaven.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three ‘dumb’s; April does not like Mandie & tries to cause trouble for her.
Sexual Content- Mentions of handsome boys & pretty girls; Mentions of Joe & Mandie marrying when they’re older; April has a crush on Tommy.
-Amanda “Mandie” Shaw, age 12
P.O.V. of Mandie
Set in 1900
128 pages (also available in a collection with four other Mandie books.)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
New Teens- Five Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Four Stars
I personally like this one better than #2 or #3. :)
*See my thought on this series versus the younger series, Here!
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“What can be causing the mysterious noises in the school attic? How can Mandie and her friends find out without getting into trouble?”
Series: Book #4 in “Mandie” series. (Read #1’s review Here! #2 Here! And #3 Here!) {There also is the “Young Mandie Mystery” series, (Book #1 review Here and Book #2 review Here!) but they do not connect together well}
Spiritual Content- Proverbs 22:6 at the beginning; Talks about God & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Prayers & Blessings over food; Church going; Bible reading & Bible studies; A few Scriptures are quoted, mentioned, and prayed; A couple mentions of Heaven.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three ‘dumb’s; April does not like Mandie & tries to cause trouble for her.
Sexual Content- Mentions of handsome boys & pretty girls; Mentions of Joe & Mandie marrying when they’re older; April has a crush on Tommy.
-Amanda “Mandie” Shaw, age 12
P.O.V. of Mandie
Set in 1900
128 pages (also available in a collection with four other Mandie books.)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
New Teens- Five Stars
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Four Stars
I personally like this one better than #2 or #3. :)
*See my thought on this series versus the younger series, Here!
Link to review:
http://booksforchristiangirls.blogspo...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
July 31, 2025
2.5 stars.
I used to own this whole series, but I sold it before one of moves across the country when I was in high school. I remember being sad and sentimental, because I'd hoped to hang on to them until I had a daughter of my own. I wanted her to love Mandie's adventures as much as I did. Now that I'm reading this series as an adult with a baby daughter, I don't know that I necessarily want her to read them! I certainly wouldn't forbid her, but I would emphasize that Mandie is hardly a role model. In this book Mandie was exhibiting so much sinful behavior.
Not far into the story, Mandie is lying to the director of her new school. She's been caught for being out after curfew. She says she won't be disobedient again, but she is mentally planning her next late night escapade.
Then, it just didn't sit well with me that Mandie provokes April by taking a jab at April's mother for being a "Yankee." April responds by calling Mandie a "half-breed." Which, yes, is worse, but Mandie started it. And then April gets all the punishment and Mandie walks free. Mandie has feelings of gladness regarding April's punishment even though she herself is walking in daily disobedience to the school's rules.
Ms. Hope makes excuses for Mandie's behavior by saying Mandie was raised in a cabin and probably doesn't know any better. But Mandie was raised by a a strict and cruel stepmother who laid down the law. So any rules should seem light in comparison.
Yes, Mandie usually cries and apologizes for things at the end of the book, but she rarely faces real consequences. Sometimes her behavior is even laughed off or swept under the rug. This is definitely not an example I would want my daughter to follow.
As a side note, the book says that the girls prepared the food for the meal with the boys. But at a wealthy girls boarding school at the time, I don't think that cooking would have been in the curriculum. They probably would have been taught how to manage a cook and kitchen, but not do the cooking themselves.
Again I find myself annoyed at just how lucky Mandie is to get paired with yet ANOTHER handsome teenage boy who finds her extremely attractive.
And then, at the very end, I was frustrated that Mandie and Celia didn't just tell Ms. Prudence about finding Hilda. She was going to find out anyways, why not just deal with her up front?
Also, how in the heck does Dr. Woodard have the availability to travel so much?
I'm going to keep reading the series. I'm hoping to rediscover what I saw and loved about Mandie as a young girl.
I used to own this whole series, but I sold it before one of moves across the country when I was in high school. I remember being sad and sentimental, because I'd hoped to hang on to them until I had a daughter of my own. I wanted her to love Mandie's adventures as much as I did. Now that I'm reading this series as an adult with a baby daughter, I don't know that I necessarily want her to read them! I certainly wouldn't forbid her, but I would emphasize that Mandie is hardly a role model. In this book Mandie was exhibiting so much sinful behavior.
Not far into the story, Mandie is lying to the director of her new school. She's been caught for being out after curfew. She says she won't be disobedient again, but she is mentally planning her next late night escapade.
Then, it just didn't sit well with me that Mandie provokes April by taking a jab at April's mother for being a "Yankee." April responds by calling Mandie a "half-breed." Which, yes, is worse, but Mandie started it. And then April gets all the punishment and Mandie walks free. Mandie has feelings of gladness regarding April's punishment even though she herself is walking in daily disobedience to the school's rules.
Ms. Hope makes excuses for Mandie's behavior by saying Mandie was raised in a cabin and probably doesn't know any better. But Mandie was raised by a a strict and cruel stepmother who laid down the law. So any rules should seem light in comparison.
Yes, Mandie usually cries and apologizes for things at the end of the book, but she rarely faces real consequences. Sometimes her behavior is even laughed off or swept under the rug. This is definitely not an example I would want my daughter to follow.
As a side note, the book says that the girls prepared the food for the meal with the boys. But at a wealthy girls boarding school at the time, I don't think that cooking would have been in the curriculum. They probably would have been taught how to manage a cook and kitchen, but not do the cooking themselves.
Again I find myself annoyed at just how lucky Mandie is to get paired with yet ANOTHER handsome teenage boy who finds her extremely attractive.
And then, at the very end, I was frustrated that Mandie and Celia didn't just tell Ms. Prudence about finding Hilda. She was going to find out anyways, why not just deal with her up front?
Also, how in the heck does Dr. Woodard have the availability to travel so much?
I'm going to keep reading the series. I'm hoping to rediscover what I saw and loved about Mandie as a young girl.
August 2, 2025
Wow, this is one of those early examples of Mandie being the absolute worst. She is a deplorable role model for any little girl, especially one striving to live as a Christian! She disregards all the rules (repeatedly) and leads her grieving roommate (and only friend at the school) into trouble. Then we meet her grandmother - who not only endorses all of Mandie’s behavior, but threatens the headmistress of the school for daring to enforce the rules and reprimand Mandie. What a jerk. It’s a wonder I read this entire series as a young person. It’s volumes like this that make me not want to recommend this series at all.
September 9, 2025
Really enjoyed Mandie and Celia becoming friends!!! I'm hoping there will be character growth in April :( also, always have to remind myself these books came out in the 80s and are based even further in the past! It's a great reminder for how far we've come in areas such as the disability community!
March 24, 2017
OK Mandie, just how many times do you have to be told something for you to obey? Seriously, here is where I get irritated with her (and I did back when I originally read these books too!). Over and over she's told certain rules. Don't be wandering around at night. Don't go into the attic. Don't go outside. Even the unspoken rules that we all know - that SHE knows - are meant to be broken. Don't leave your grandmother's house in the middle of the night and travel across town alone to break into a building.
So to readers of Mandie be aware - the RULES DON'T APPLY TO HER!
When I first read these books, I became frustrated after awhile and had to quit, only going back because, well they kept coming out, my dad kept buying them for me because they were Christian, and let's face it, the covers were interesting. But Mandie herself came off on occasion as a spoiled little princess who has to get her own way.
And this is a review from someone who LOVES the books.
Shakes head. So now what do I say about this particular book? The message seems to be that the ends to justify the means. She did get in trouble, and so there were consequences. Kinda. Even if those consequences looked an awful lot like a vacation with her grandmother. But I'm going to bump up the rating to four stars because that's what I do like - the interactions with her Grandmother. And with the people around here. There's lots of new characters this time around that will become more important as the series develops.
OK, rant over. If you're a Mandie lover, just read this one and keep going. Things do get better.
So to readers of Mandie be aware - the RULES DON'T APPLY TO HER!
When I first read these books, I became frustrated after awhile and had to quit, only going back because, well they kept coming out, my dad kept buying them for me because they were Christian, and let's face it, the covers were interesting. But Mandie herself came off on occasion as a spoiled little princess who has to get her own way.
And this is a review from someone who LOVES the books.
Shakes head. So now what do I say about this particular book? The message seems to be that the ends to justify the means. She did get in trouble, and so there were consequences. Kinda. Even if those consequences looked an awful lot like a vacation with her grandmother. But I'm going to bump up the rating to four stars because that's what I do like - the interactions with her Grandmother. And with the people around here. There's lots of new characters this time around that will become more important as the series develops.
OK, rant over. If you're a Mandie lover, just read this one and keep going. Things do get better.
January 16, 2014
My daughter begs me to read aloud every chance we have. And she would give the Mandie books a five star rating. She loves them as much as I did when I was her age or older! For myself they get a little repetitious and I can just tell what will happen next.
June 23, 2019
Title: Mandie and the Forbidden Attic
Author: Lois Gladys Leppard
Series: Mandie, 4
Format: ebook, bind-up
Length: N/A
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis: What can be causing the mysterious noises in the school attic? How can Mandie and her friends find out without getting into trouble?
Favourite character: Celia & Joe
Least favourite character: April
Mini-review: Good book, this one introduces Celia Hamilton, one of my favourite Mandie characters. We're starting to see more of Mandie's stubbornness. Didn't like how Miss Prudence called Mandie's father "of savage blood." She shouldn't talk about her students families like that, especially at a finishing school.
April Snow needs to take a chill pill.
Fan Cast:
Amanda "Mandie" Shaw - Emma Rayne Lyle
Celia Hamilton - Sadie Sink
April Snow - Emily Carey
Thomas "Tommy" Patton - Asher Angel
Robert Rogers - Kyle Red Silverstein
Miss Prudence Heathwood - Mary Steenburgen
Miss Hope Heathwood - Patricia Heaton
Grandmother Taft - Meryl Streep
Uncle Ned Sweetwater - Zahn McClarnon
Elizabeth Shaw - Malin Akerman
Uncle John Shaw - Robert Downey Jr.
Joe Woodard - Louis Hynes
Dr. Woodard - Gideon Emery
Author: Lois Gladys Leppard
Series: Mandie, 4
Format: ebook, bind-up
Length: N/A
Rating: 3 stars
Synopsis: What can be causing the mysterious noises in the school attic? How can Mandie and her friends find out without getting into trouble?
Favourite character: Celia & Joe
Least favourite character: April
Mini-review: Good book, this one introduces Celia Hamilton, one of my favourite Mandie characters. We're starting to see more of Mandie's stubbornness. Didn't like how Miss Prudence called Mandie's father "of savage blood." She shouldn't talk about her students families like that, especially at a finishing school.
April Snow needs to take a chill pill.
Fan Cast:
Amanda "Mandie" Shaw - Emma Rayne Lyle
Celia Hamilton - Sadie Sink
April Snow - Emily Carey
Thomas "Tommy" Patton - Asher Angel
Robert Rogers - Kyle Red Silverstein
Miss Prudence Heathwood - Mary Steenburgen
Miss Hope Heathwood - Patricia Heaton
Grandmother Taft - Meryl Streep
Uncle Ned Sweetwater - Zahn McClarnon
Elizabeth Shaw - Malin Akerman
Uncle John Shaw - Robert Downey Jr.
Joe Woodard - Louis Hynes
Dr. Woodard - Gideon Emery
April 26, 2020
This terribly written book inspired my deep love for historical boarding school stories. I would rather eat grass than read it again, since I now know how terrible the prose and characterization are, and would have no patience for the girls' egregious rule-breaking, but I'm glad that this book introduced me to the joy of reading and imagining boarding school stories, and I'm glad there were so many great books like
Just Patty
and
The Little Colonel at Boarding-School
for me to read afterward.
August 15, 2020
While there is some fun intrigue, it's difficult to think of young girls disobeying orders and possibly endangering themselves in this way. Delightful that they wanted to help ... lots of good things in the story, and I'll keep reading the series.
November 30, 2020
Great mystery series for the mystery reader!
December 7, 2017
It was very interesting and fulled with detail, like when she got caught going to the attic. It was a very good book. And I liked it.
October 15, 2025
Oh, now I remember the storyline! I really loved once she got to boarding school and met Celia. These books were my favorite growing up!
October 6, 2013
I admit it: I am reviewing these books years after reading them. However, do not even suggest that I'm no longer qualified, that too many years have passed to remember. My battered and faded copies of these books testify to how many times I read them growing up and plots and entire passages are seared in my memory forever.
Snowball always ran away, Mandie always got in trouble, Uncle Ned always rescued her, and Joe and Tommy bristled at each other. I myself prefered Joe, but Tommy's cosmopolitan airs nearly tipped the balance a time or two. I recall- fondly and as though it were yesterday- my glee when Mandie went off to Europe, my disgust at the new baby, my delight in Mandie's wardrobe of sky blue frocks, my puzzlement at all her near escapes and handy school vacations, my terror during the daring midnight adventures. Ah me, to be young and silly again...
If I had written goodreads reviews at the age of eleven, all Mandie books would've received automatic five-star ratings and gushing descriptions. As an adult, I will honestly give them all three stars, except for my special pets. And if I ever have a little girl, I will buy her the entire set. Oh, and did you know there are more than forty books in the series by now? And I'm guessing Mandie never grows up, either.
Snowball always ran away, Mandie always got in trouble, Uncle Ned always rescued her, and Joe and Tommy bristled at each other. I myself prefered Joe, but Tommy's cosmopolitan airs nearly tipped the balance a time or two. I recall- fondly and as though it were yesterday- my glee when Mandie went off to Europe, my disgust at the new baby, my delight in Mandie's wardrobe of sky blue frocks, my puzzlement at all her near escapes and handy school vacations, my terror during the daring midnight adventures. Ah me, to be young and silly again...
If I had written goodreads reviews at the age of eleven, all Mandie books would've received automatic five-star ratings and gushing descriptions. As an adult, I will honestly give them all three stars, except for my special pets. And if I ever have a little girl, I will buy her the entire set. Oh, and did you know there are more than forty books in the series by now? And I'm guessing Mandie never grows up, either.
July 21, 2010
The Mandie series is one of the most memorable book series of my childhood. I still fondly remember the adventures with Mandie, Celia and Joe. Grandma brought one each time she visited. I recently saw that she has written at least 10 more from where I left off. I actually went and pulled out my series from storage and am going to reread the series and add in the new books. Highly recommended for young adult readers!
December 30, 2014
I'll admit I started pre reading this series for my kids and now find myself somewhat interested in the plot. The characters develop fairly well over the books so far. They do have a hint of the historical writing style. They also tend to portray minorities and God in a way that wouldn't fly in most schools today.
June 11, 2020
The Mandie books are fun Christian mysteries for children, but I still love reading them. Even though she doesn't age very quickly and seems to get far too many breaks from school during the year, she's a lot of fun.
May 8, 2010
I thought that as the Mandie books went on they got a little boreing and not as good as the first. My favorites are the first three. Its seems that Mandie is always getting into trouble in this book, and it gets old. But otherwise, Mandie books are the best!
August 6, 2012
This loses a star for the many, many times that Mandie deliberately breaks her school rules. She *does* get rebuked and punished in the beginning of the next book, but I would worry a bit about giving this to a slow reader who would be dwelling on Mandie and her disobedience for a long time.
April 8, 2015
I love this book because Mandie and her friend,Celia,find a girl in the schools attic and they keep getting into trouble with Miss Prudence. And then Mandie learns a lesson about behaving. But anyway I love them no matter what!!
Read
September 20, 2007Leppard, Lois G. PB
January 12, 2008
I still like the series, but the stereotypes are a little much sometimes, especially for Christian fiction.
March 10, 2008
Cute. All the Mandie books are just very cute and suitable for little girls who like old-fashioned adventure.
May 16, 2008
I loved it when I was 11. I don't know about it now.
November 8, 2008
This a great book for almost all ages and it will be a treat for your whole family! I love books, but these are the best books in the universe!
Read
January 21, 2009JMAR5-Lep
August 20, 2009
I read this book to my kids. I found myself wanting to read the next chapter without them! haha! It kept all of our attention... ages 4 to 27 :)
October 13, 2011
A great series of books for children/young adults. Often recommended for girls, because the main protagonist is female, these books could still be a good read for boys, too.
December 20, 2010
Again, really well done.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews