Lit Coach Lou

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!