The Creepening of Dogwood House

by Eden Royce

Roderick Jermaine Bolden, a.k.a., Roddie, is a quiet, affectionate, thoughtful 12-year-old boy who has just lost his mother in a tragic accident. He has no family to speak of, only Aunt Angie, who he has never met in person, only through a few video chats. She can’t even be contacted, which is why he finds himself, alone, at an orphanage, with his grief, his questions and his fears. Finally Roddie’s aunt is found and arrives with her husband Erik, returning them all to the ancestral home, Dogwood House. Royce has made us imagine and feel Roddie’s despair which make us want to root for him right away. 

This insightful book into the mind of this young boy would keep me turning the pages on its own, but some quirky things also start happening as soon as Roddie arrives and we enter into the creepening part of the story. He can’t believe this beat up, paint peeling, “haunted house” is where he is about to live. When his aunt tries to give Roddie the small amount of memories she has of his mom, they seem muddled and confusing even to her. As more and more events convince Roddie the house is indeed haunted, he goes about trying to find what is causing the decay and smell.

Be prepared for some shuddering and squirming as you read this terrifying tale. The description is so vivid of this other world, you can’t help but be drawn into it and will not be able to put it down until it is finished. ☺In addition to a great story we learn some very interesting facts, including the folklore and hoodoo in the Southern Gothic tradition. 

I think this would be a wonderful addition to any classroom library, starting in the 3rd grade, around eight or nine years old. Royce provides a teaching guide for this novel and you can click here for it! And to learn more about the people and places that inspired this book, please visit the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission here.

For a chance to win your very own copy of The Creepening of Dogwood House, please follow me, leave a post on the blog or like/write about it on Instagram @litcoachlou6.  Each one will earn you a separate entry! This is one you will want to read and share with your kids. They always love a bit of horror and fantasy! 

Keep It Like a Secret

By John Anderson

                                                 

         It's always a pleasure to write a review of anything Anderson writes. I have been a fan of his since reading Ms. Bixby's Day Off in 2016. Although labeled as a middle- grade fiction author, I've seen many upper elementary students enjoy his work, as well as teachers who use his books for both book clubs and read-alouds. Anderson scores yet another hit with his latest novel, Keep It Like a Secret, as he tackles the close, yet at times, difficult relationship between an older sister and her younger brother.

        When Claire comes to Morgan's bedroom window and begs him to spend the day with her, Morgan is skeptical, but she reminds him of their "sibling code". She is Cat and he is Mouse. They "keep no secrets, tell no lies and always have each other's backs." 

Each has a different understanding of the outcomes of this day. Claire has been living away from home for always arguing with her mother. Morgan just wants things to be the way they had been. He wants to convince her to come home - to remind her of the good times. But Claire, who wants to prepare Mouse for something unexpected, has a completely different outcome in mind. Things will forever change after today . . . 

    As Cat and Mouse drive away and begin their crazy adventures, from a car calamity to a spray-painting episode, more than fun is found. As they individually reflect on their feelings, Morgan tells us, "I have no idea where I am. I've been just counting on Claire to show me the way, just like always . . ." Whereas Claire finally admits that, "You can't spend your whole life being the person everyone else wants you to be."

Come along for the ride, as we laugh at their antics and cry as they grapple with life's changes, doing so with both grace and understanding. This is a love letter to sibling relationships everywhere.

        You can visit him online at,  John David Anderson,  and obtain an Educator's Guide to accompany Keep It Like a Secret  here.

        Do you want to win your own copy of this book? Simply leave a comment and Join my blog (if you haven't already) and you will be entered into the drawing!