Joy and her brother Byron are Spookies, meaning they live in the creepy town of Spooking rather than the shiny new town of Darlington. Joy is fine wit...moreJoy and her brother Byron are Spookies, meaning they live in the creepy town of Spooking rather than the shiny new town of Darlington. Joy is fine with this because she is all about anything different or odd. When Joy discovers that the folks in Darlington intend to build a water park and destroy her beloved bog (home of the Bog Fiend) she is determined to stop the plan at any cost. But there are people just as determined to see the bog destoyed and Joy may have just bitten off more than she can chew.
I enjoyed this book in the end. I have to say that although the writing is very good, it took me a bit to warm up to it. But now I can't wait to see what happens. I really like the quirky characters and the villian is truely evil. I think older kids and tweens will enjoy this book and I think it could appeal to boys and girls.(less)
Olive's family buys an old, creepy house that is enormous.and full of odd paintings. Olive's parents are absorbed with Math and all things mathmatical...moreOlive's family buys an old, creepy house that is enormous.and full of odd paintings. Olive's parents are absorbed with Math and all things mathmatical so Olive has lots of time to explore. When she finds a pair of old glasses she discovers that she can actually go into the paintings. She also discovers a trio of talking cats who guard the house and it's "secret". Despite warnings from these cats, Olive continues to explore inside the paintings, popping in and out at will. Was it only a matter of time until something followed her out?
This is the first of the Books of Elsewhere series. I really enjoyed it. I read it during lunch hours so it took a bit of time. Normally, it would have been a one sitting book, which can be fun. I liked the characters and loved the cats. There was action and mystery. I think this would appeal to boys and girls. I will be reading the next in the series.(less)