Charlie and the Grandmothers

May 1, 2015
Is it really paranoia if the monsters turn out to be real? Twelve-year-old Charlie Oughtt's overactive imagination can supply a frightening or deadly outcome to any situation. His younger sister, Georgie, however, is ready for anything. When children in their gaslit Victorian neighborhood begin to vanish, their widowed mother begins acting strangely and talking of sending them to stay with their grandmother...but both their grandmothers are dead. No matter; off they go. Charlie naturally fears the worst, but Grandmother Opal and Grandmother Pearl's farm and what lurks beneath it make Charlie's most terrifying nightmares look like pleasant daydreams. The grandmothers (it turns out there are many of them) separate the children and assign strange tasks and punishments. Then Georgie vanishes...and when Charlie goes looking, he uncovers a terrifying plot. Can Charlie summon the inner courage to save Georgie and the other missing children from a dream-devouring menace that threatens the whole world? Following Skary Childrin and the Carousel of Sorrow (2011), Towell's sophomore effort is a slow-ish, Gothic-y adventure. The main characters are stock, but the surrounding cast of monsters is satisfyingly creepy, and they are really the point anyway. The eerie line drawings have the effect of a high school literary magazine, but they add to the unsettling atmosphere. Snicket-lite without the clever wordplay, it's a ghoulish though not gross thriller. (Horror. 8-11)

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June 1, 2015

Gr 3-6-Twelve-year-old Charlie is a worrier. Nearly everything makes him nervous. He is the complete opposite of his younger sister, Georgie, who is brave and curious. As children in their town begin to disappear permanently while on supposed trips to visit their grandmothers, Charlie and Georgie know that they will be next. When one day their mother, who does not seem herself, suddenly sends them off to meet their grandmothers, both of whom they've been previously told had passed away, this chilling tale truly takes off. It's clear that the grandmothers are not what they seem, but if they're not really grandmothers, then what are they? This is a story filled with creepy hallways, devilish trees, ghostly prisoners, and other sinister haunts. It's also a heartwarming adventure about overcoming one's fears and the unbreakable bond between siblings. Fans of Neil Gaiman's Coraline (HarperCollins, 2002) and Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener (Abrams, 2014) will enjoy this middle grade fantasy/horror story. VERDICT Strongly recommended for collections were middle grade horror is in demand.-Pilar Okeson, Allen-Stevenson, New York City

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July 1, 2015
Grades 4-7 Twelve-year-old Charlie is highly observant but a worrierfinding something to fear in every detail. When he notices that local children are disappearing on visits to their grandmothers, Charlie worries that he and his sister Georgie will be next, despite the fact that they don't have any grandmothers. Soon his mother begins acting strangely and introduces them to Pearl and Opal, two grandmothers who Charlie knows aren't part of the family. Creepy and gnarled, the old women play good and bad granny with the children in a world where walls, stairs, hallways, and doors move and disappear, and where nightmares seem to live. Enter the evil queen to whom the grandmothers bring children so she can steal their dreams and memories. Because Charlie notices and questions everything, he has an advantage in this terrifying situation, and it's up to him to save his sister, his mother, and the world. Crossing Neil Gaiman with Roald Dahl, this dark but engaging tale has a bright future. Final black-and-white illustrations not seen.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)