Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head
By Tracy Moore,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Page-turner of a mystery has orphans solving crimes.

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Based on 1 parent review
More graphic than expected
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What's the Story?
Pippa, Sam, Thomas, and now Max all live in the Dumfrey Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. Max's knife-throwing skills are a perfect complement to the other children's skills, such as the strongest boy and the mentalist. But when a shrunken head goes missing, and along with it a string of unsolved murders, the children must band together to figure out who did it before they're hauled off to school and work -- or before the crime is pinned on one of them.
Is It Any Good?
This captivating whodunnit blends murder, creepy oddities, relics, and the eerie indifference of city life with tales of friendship, fitting in, and survival. With ominous black-and-white sketches throughout, the story and vibe are skillfully woven for a meaty mystery with a human touch.
Though CURIOSITY HOUSE: SHRUNKEN HEAD has a slew of murders and a brooding, macabre tone, the children are relatably strange, believably resilient, and, ultimately, survivors who learn to trust each other and navigate a complicated, indifferent world by banding together. The result is a creepy page-turner that has a lot of heart and lessons about the way our differences are often our strengths.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about mysteries. Why are they so popular?
Have you ever felt you were different? If so, why?
How are these orphans able to trust one another?
Book Details
- Author: Lauren Oliver
- Illustrator: H. C. Chester
- Genre: Mystery
- Topics: Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication date: October 29, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
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