The Raconteur's Commonplace Book: A Greenglass House Story
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Raconteur's Commonplace Book is a stand-alone part of the Greenglass House series of books. It's a collection of stories set in that world, and the other books refer to it many times. There's some scariness from eerie atmospheres and magical or fantasy creatures. Murder and stabbing are mentioned, and blood is mentioned or described briefly a few times. Adult characters kiss a few times. Several adults smoke cigars in a designated area, and most drink alcohol after dinner, but no excess is shown.
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What's the Story?
THE RACONTEUR'S COMMONPLACE BOOK tells of 12 travelers stuck at an inn waiting for the rain to stop and for the flooding Skidwrack River to go back down into its banks. Youngest of the travelers is Maisie, who quickly realizes that everyone there has a secret, and maybe even more than one. One of the travelers suggests that they pass the time in the evenings by telling stories, starting with his own about a boy wandering through an empty mansion looking for a key to a magical gateway. As each guest tells a story in turn, some secrets are revealed, some are hidden even deeper, and some may even show how to stop the ever growing river as it inches its way to the inn's very doorstep.
Is It Any Good?
Fans of the Greenglass House series will be glad to finally get their hands on this infamous collection of stories, which do not disappoint. The Raconteur's Commonplace Book stands firmly on its own, too. New readers will enjoy this as an introduction to the wildly imaginative world of Nagspeake and the colorful characters who inhabit it. Seeing it all through the eyes of Maisie, who's only described as "young," makes it easy for a range of ages to relate as she pieces things together.
Some familiar characters reappear and lots of new ones are introduced, but all are steeped in mystery and intrigue. The stories within the story conjure an amazingly rich and deep folklore woven among the many intriguing layers of the characters who do the telling.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about storytelling in The Raconteur's Commonplace Book. Why is storytelling important? Which story was your favorite? Why?
Is Maisie a positive role model? Do you like her? What are her character strengths and weaknesses?
Have you read any other books in this series? Which was your favorite? If you haven't, would you like to now?
Book Details
- Author: Kate Milford
- Illustrator: Nicole Wong
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Great Girl Role Models
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Clarion Books
- Publication date: February 23, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 400
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: March 18, 2021
Our Editors Recommend
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Greenglass House
Delightful, engaging mystery with a twist.
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A Curious Tale of the In-Between
Kinda creepy, kinda sweet ghost story for big kids, tweens.
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Jackaby, Book 1
Delightfully creepy 1890s mystery has some light horror.
For kids who love mysteries and fantasy
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