It's Monday!

Hosted by Shelia at Book Journey.

Another Monday, another book.  Currently I am enjoying Splendors & Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz. 

So far I'm only about a hundred pages in, but here's what I think so far:

I love it!  Let's start by admitting to how awesome the book jacket is.  The art work is wonderfully creepy.  Plus, it feels neat too.  

When young Clara sees Grisini's stringed puppet show in the park she is determined to have them at her birthday party.  At the party the final puppet is a skeleton dancing and moving around on stage.  Clara can't stop from laughing out, which is disgraceful behavior for a young lady in mourning of the deaths of her siblings.  When Clara goes missing the police come to search Grisini's lodgings.  Lizzie Rose and Parsefall , Grisini's young wards, begin to piece together a connection between missing children and Grisini.  Interspersed with this story are chapters about the witch Cassandra. How and when the stories connect is yet to come.

There is a major creepy factor here that I am loving and imagine young readers will too (Grades 5+ independently for best comprehension is my feeling.).  I suggest reading this book by candlelight to maximize the experience!  I can't wait to find out where Clara is!  What is Grisini up to?  And how would it feel to be the only surviving sibling, especially when one was your twin?

I'm telling you...candlelight.

Happy Reading!  I'm off to see what others are reading.

Best,

Nicole