A Gaggle of Goblins

April 4, 2011
An itinerant family moves into a rambling old house in Austin, Tex., in this highly entertaining launch to Harper's (The Juliet Club) the Unseen World of Poppy Malone series. When minor mishaps immediately occur, the Malone parents, bumbling paranormal investigators, are convinced that a "Dark Presence" is haunting the house and vow to track it down (" âA Dark Presence, hard at work.' sighed happily. âWe are going to have such fun,' "). Nine-year-old Poppy, a committed skeptic and aspiring scientist, believes there is a rational explanation, yet after she encounters a goblin in the attic, Poppy discovers it isn't the only prankster involved. Soon mayhem eruptsâtapping noises keep everyone awake at night, computers falter, possessions disappearâand the replacement of the rambunctious youngest Malone, Rolly, with a (very polite) changeling has Poppy and her two remaining siblings embarking on a search for their missing brother. The book shines through the consistently amusing dynamics and dialogue among the Malones; Harper has abundant fun with the Malone parents' eccentricities, and kids will too. Readers will want more from this family. Ages 8â12.

November 1, 2011

Gr 3-6-The daughter of paranormal investigators, Poppy Malone comes face-to-face (or perhaps knee-to-face) with a wily, old gnome in the attic of her new home. Now she thinks she knows what's causing the general chaos throughout the house in the hours since they moved in-the electricity failing, doors collapsing, and food containers exploding. The premise for this fantasy, set in the steaming heat of a Texas summer, is a good one, but the narrative falls short in its believability, and the characterization of everyone except Poppy is weak. Integral to the story are her three siblings, yet readers learn little about them except for the fact that one is annoying, another lethargic, and the third wayward. Poppy is likable and, for the most part, exhibits the true characteristics of a girl on the cusp of 10 years old. Inexplicably, she continually doubts the solid evidence of a veritable company of gnomes, including numerous sightings and even conversations, despite the fact that her family traipses around the world looking to authenticate the existence of otherworldly creatures. It's also unbelievable that Poppy never tells her parents about the intruders, even after her incorrigible four-year-old brother is kidnapped by gnomes and replaced with one of their own. The rationale for this: not to upset Mrs. Malone. Poppy's mother is a professional ghost hunter; would she really be unnerved by a colony of gnomes? Students might be happy to follow Poppy on further adventures, but not before a generous dose of pragmatism makes its way into the story.-Margo Doble Schmidt, Convent of the Sacred Heart, Greenwich, CT

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