A few weeks ago, I attended an author event at my local independent book store, Eagle Harbor Book Co., in which Washington author Ben Guterson introduced his first novel, a middle grade fantasy about 11-year old Elizabeth Somers, an orphan who lives with relatives on her father's side of the family.
On the last day of school before Christmas break, she arrives at home to find an envelope duct-taped to the front door. The envelope contains three dollars, a train ticket, and a note telling her they are going on a three-week trip for the holidays and she would be going to Winterhouse Hotel. The house is locked tight, but they "thoughtfully" gathered a few items of clothing, stuck them in a plastic grocery sack, and hung them on the doorknob for her.
While the train ride is uneventful, the bus from the train station to the hotel contains some passengers who make Elizabeth very uncomfortable - and so the adventure begins.
Elizabeth's three weeks at Winterhouse are filled with intrigue and fun. She has plenty of food to eat, a new wardrobe, a warm, clean, comfortable room, and discovers that a mysterious benefactor has paid for everything. Guests are invited to attend movies, lectures, and parties, they can check out recreational equipment, and best of all, at least to Elizabeth, they have access to the hotel's extensive library.
At Winterhouse, Elizabeth meets a cast of quirky, but lovable characters, finally makes a friend who is as quirky and smart as she is, and finds adults who actually care about her. She also discovers a mystery to solve, family secrets to learn, and...she cannot seem to get away from the mysterious couple from the bus.
Guterson has filled this novel with word ladders, anagrams, ambigrams, and Vigenere ciphers, which will keep readers guessing right along with Elizabeth. He also sprinkled the titles of some of his favorite children's novels throughout the book, which is sure to cause his young readers to say, "Hey! I love that book, too!"
Chloe Bristol, a Disney background artist, illustrated the book, perfectly matching the feel of the story with her unique style. The cover she created for this book is wonderful - a painting of the front of Winterhouse Hotel, with the windows cut out so you can see inside. In true teacher fashion, I laminated mine, so it can withstand the abuse it will take in my classroom ;)
Winterhouse is a solid debut and I look forward to the other two books in the trilogy. Click here to order your copy.
No comments:
Post a Comment