The Night Gardener, by Jonathan Auxier

Molly and Kip are trying to find the Windsors, their new home of employment, but the locals are not making it easy for them.  Every time Molly asks, they speak of the sour woods and tell Molly that she should stay away.  But it's not like Molly has a choice - she and her brother are far from home and without parents.  When they encounter Hester Kettle on the road, they seem to have found a piece of luck.  She is willing to tell the children how to get to the Windsors for a promise of future stories. Molly agrees and they are soon on their way.

Molly's introduction to the family is a far cry from welcoming.  Hired by the Windsor's solicitor, Constance has no idea Molly is coming and is less than pleased to find her telling stories to her young daughter Penny in the dusty foyer of the house.  Constance and her son Alistair want Molly and Kip to leave immediately, but Molly is able to use her gift of the gab to convince them that they would much rather live in a well tended house, and that she and Kip can provide it for them.

She will soon live to regret this move, as the family and the house seem to be harboring dark secrets.  While she is able to throw herself into the ample work of cleaning up the household during the day, it is at night when Molly is most afraid.  Every night since she's been sleeping in the house, she has been having terrible nightmares.  And it turns out the darkness isn't just in her mind.  She wakes to find her door open, leaves in her hair and mud on the floor.

As it turns out, the Night Gardener Miss Polly has mentioned is real.  He wanders the house and the grounds at night and has his hand in the nightmares of the household.

And he is not the only dark element at the Windsors' place.  The tree, growing much too close to the house, is more than it seems as well, and will soon ensnare Molly as it has the Windsors.

This is a deliciously scary story that will have readers up into the night to finish. Jonathan Auxier is one of those writers who seems like he's been around forever.  Not because there are a plethora of his books lining the shelves, but because he is a craftsman.  His books have a timeless quality to them and are made of the stuff with staying power.  The Windsor's legacy is slowly revealed piece by piece which helps bring the suspense level to that of a slow burn.  He explores the themes of human weakness and greed, family and loyalty with aplomb.  The setting is expertly laid out and even now as I close my eyes I can see the grounds, the stables and the green door.

Fans of dark fantasy, Victorians, and well crafted stories will be left shivering with delight.

The Witch's Guide to Cooking With Children

It’s not often I get to listen to an audio book. With my own young children around who aren’t quite ready for the books that I review, I end up listening catch as catch can. I was bound and determined to finish The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children, not just for the story itself, but for the excellent performance by Laural Merlington.

When brainy Sol and precocious Connie move with their “dad” and their stepmother to Grand Creek, Sol isn’t too broken up about it. He is hoping that the move can give him a fresh start far away from “the terrible day”. True to form, Sol is already in possession of bus maps and some knowledge of their new town.

When they meet neighbor Fay Holaderry and her dog Swift they have no real reason to think that she’s anybody other than the sweet old lady she first appears to be. But Fay Holaderry has a deep, dark secret. She’s been taking misbehaving children out of families at the request of their parents for generations and generations. Yes, the methods have changed (big donation boxes outside of movie theaters have replaced the dark, spooky woods), but Holaderry’s still on her game, and thanks to a call from Sol and Connie’s parents, they are next on her list.

But Holaderry’s not counting on Sol’s genius or Connie’s pluck. Once they realize that their folks have it out for them, the combination of their personalities seems unbeatable! But can they outsmart a witch who has magic on her side and who has been cooking up children since the days of Grimm?

Keith McGowan has written a clever twist on Hansel and Gretel that modern kids will eat up! Since I listened instead of read, I did not get to see the accompanying illustrations. But I did get to enjoy Laural Merlington’s masterful performance in the Brilliance Audio edition.

The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney

Have you ever pretended you were someone else? Maybe lied a bit about a nickname, a boyfriend, a circle of friends, a band you saw?

Well, Devon spent her summer lying to a cool new friend named Lexi, after her folks shipped Devon and little sis Katie off to the grandparents while they tried to get their relationship back in order. Devon (or Devi) told Lexi all about her circle of cool friends, and her hot boyfriend Jared. What's the harm...Devi figured she'd never see Lexi again.

Imagine her surprise when Lexi shows up in Mr. Pritchard's class. Now what is Devi going to do? Jared doesn't know she's alive, all of her cute clothes are summer clothes (from her parent's guilt money), and Kim and the popular girls are not really her friends.

Devi digs in deeper and deeper with more lying, instead of coming clean. Soon she's in a spot where a really cool boy likes her, but she can't let on. And sooner than later, her house of lies starts to crumble.

Lauren Barnholt has written a pitch perfect tween school story. Who hasn't lied? Who hasn't wished for a bit of a different life? The interactions between the characters are authentic and Devi's family (problems and all) makes for a great backdrop for Devi's growth. Fun, fast, and filled with tween-speak, this supercute read should fly off the shelves.

Elvis and Olive

It's the beginning of summer vacation and Natalie Wallis is already bored. She decides to give herself an assignment to pass the time. Her task is to clock how fast that she can ride around her block. It doesn't hurt that riding around the block means passing Steven Redding's house. Natalie thinks that Steven is the cutest, sweetest boy in the whole school and she has been secretly in love with him for three years now. But it's not Steven who Natalie runs into.

Instead, there is a small, skinny boy standing in Natalie's path. "I'm gonna tell you a secret," the boy says.

Well, Natalie comes to find out that this boy isn't a boy after all, but a girl named Annie. Annie has lots of secrets, and she wants to find out more. Annie and Natalie (code names Elvis and Olive) start their secret club that day. Their task is to find out the secrets of all of the people in their neighbourhood. Natalie assures Annie that the block is boring, but Annie knows that the most seemingly normal folks, tend to have a secret or two ripe for spying.

Natalie likes being around Annie even though she knows that Annie is a liar. Annie is not like the other girls in her private school. She is brave and a little dangerous too. Before too long it becomes apparent that some things are secret for a reason, and that while spying is fun, being spied on is not.

Stephanie Watson has written a gem of a story about friendship, truth, family and trust. Annie is a character who is flawed all over the place, yet likable just the same. Readers get to watch Natalie become braver, which is always a fun thing to do! This is the kind of story, however, that gives me the after-school special feeling in my stomach...you know when you see something bad coming, and you are yelling at the character on the television not to do what you know they are going to do? Watson really does have you wanting it all to be okay.