Enter If You Dare . . . . Stories of Odd and Unusual Houses

This week, I'm sharing chapter books that feature unusual houses.  Here are a few of my favorites . . .

The House With a Clock in Its Walls by John Bellairs
A boy goes to live with his magician uncle in a mansion that has a clock hidden in the walls which is ticking off the minutes until doomsday.

Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon
When little, twelve-year-old Molly arrives at Castle Hangnail to fill the vacancy for a wicked witch, the minions who dwell there have no choice but to give her the job and at first it seems she will be able to keep the castle open, but Molly has quite a few secrets that could cause trouble.

Larklight by Philip Reeve
In an alternate Victorian England, young Arthur and his sister Myrtle, residents of Larklight, a floating house in one of Her Majesty's outer space territories, uncover a spidery plot to destroy the solar system.

Enchanted Glass by Diana Wynne Jones
After his grandfather dies, Andrew Hope inherits a house and surrounding land in an English village, but things become very complicated when young orphan Aidan shows up and suddenly a host of variously magical townsfolk and interlopers start intruding on their lives.


More Books --
The 13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
The Beastly Arms by Patrick Jennings
Club Earth by Gail Gauthier
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
The Ghost in the Glass House by Carey Wallace
Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright
The House With Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
Nine Open Arms by Benny Lindelauf
Olivia Kidney by Ellen Potter
The Phantom Tower by Keir Graff
The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange
Watch Hollow by Gregory Funaro

Check these books out on display at the Arnold Branch through March 27, 2020.

The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

Sasha and Ray have shared many things in their lives -- a job, a bedroom, and their family.  The one thing they's never shared is a meeting between the two of them.

Ray's mother and Sasha's father were married for years before going through a very acrimonious divorce.  They can't even bring themselves to be in the same room for the sake of their three daughters.

So Sasha and Ray have never met . . . although they feel as if they know each other.  They share a bedroom at their vacation house that neither parent would give up.  Instead they share the house with each family taking it every other week.

But this summer, everything changes.  This summer, they'll have to meet and try to get along . . . .


Ann Brashares has written another great novel for teens.  I was reminded of her popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by how the book quickly grabbed the reader and drew them into the characters' lives.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed Ann Brashares' previous books as well as fans of Sarah Dessen and Jennifer E. Smith.

Possessions by Ray Fawkes

Gurgazon the Unclean is the cutest little demon you have ever seen.  She looks like an adorable little girl -- only with dirty and smelly.  She's just been captured and trapped in Mrs. Llewellyn-Vane's house with several other ghosts and spirits.  And she is determined to escape!

The artwork for this graphic novel series for kids is great!  I love the contrast between cute little girl and dirty, smelly, mean demon.  A great graphic novel series for kids.