THE INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF DERELICTION, by Jacqueline Davies, Clarion Books, July 18, 2023, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)
A girl starts to repair the dilapidated mansion next door and discovers it’s a home to ghosts in The International House of Dereliction, by Jacqueline Davies.
Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.
She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things?
But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it’s the perfect new repair job!
As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been watching, and they need Alice’s help to solve their unfinished business.
Will Alice be able to unravel the mysteries of the House and find her forever home . . . before it’s too late? —Synopsis provided by Clarion Books
There’s so much to like about The International House of Dereliction — bright prose, a delightful protagonist and a plot that will appeal to a wide variety of readers.
This is a good ghost story that doesn’t get too spooky. And at the center of it is a message of kindness, ingenuity and courage.
Alice is a lovely main character and the supporting ones are just as delightful.
Author Jacqueline Davies writes with her audience in mind, giving them a clear, straightforward story with just enough quirk to keep them coming back for more.
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