Common Sense Media Review
By Kate Pavao
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Smart series starter for kids who love haunted houses.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When Olive's mathemetician parents decide to buy a creepy old mansion, the 11-year-old misfit finally has a house of her own. But the old house is not what it seems: It's filled with talking cats, pictures that Olive can climb in and out of -- and a growing danger. After all, according to one of the cats, \"There is something that doesn't want you here, and it will do it best to get rid of you.\" Olive doesn't know whom to trust as she begins to peel off the layers of mystery filling up the old house. And the wrong choices she makes threaten her friends, her family, and her own life. It will take all her strength to fight back against a dark force in a frightening final faceoff.
Is It Any Good?
The author has all the right pieces here: A sympathetic protagonist, a creepy old house, and clever ideas. Especially intriguing are the portraits that Olive can climb into (and in which other people, including Olive's strange new friend, Morton, have become trapped). The book has scary scenes, such as when Olive almost drowns in a painting of a lake, but the comedic cats add some levity, and savvy readers will know Olive will survive (Her picture is on the other cover of the other series installments, after all). In the end, this is a smart choice for series-loving mid-grade readers who like to shiver beneath their sheets during a creepy bedtime story.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Shadows being part of a series. What's fun about reading multiple books about a single character or fictional world?
Why do you think publishers might be interested in publishing a series rather than a stand-alone book?
Can you think of other books and movies that take place in an old mansion? Why do you think this is a popular idea?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Poly Bernatene
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dial Books
- Publication date : June 30, 2010
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 9 - 11
- Number of pages : 256
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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