Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Scholastic Inc.
Pages
241
Description
When eleven-year-old Olive and her distracted parents move into an old Victorian mansion, Olive finds herself ensnared in a dark plan involving some mysterious paintings, a trapped and angry nine-year-old boy, and three talking cats.
Description
Old Ms. McMartin is definitely dead. Now her crumbling Victorian mansion lies vacant. When eleven-year-old Olive and her dippy mathematician parents move in, she knows there's something odd about the place--not least the walls covered in strange antique paintings. But when Olive finds a pair of old spectacles in a dusty drawer, she discovers the most peculiar thing yet: She can travel inside these paintings to a world that's strangely quiet . . . and eerily like her own. Yet Elsewhere harbors dark secrets--and Morton, an undersized boy with an outsize temper. As she and Morton form an uneasy alliance, Olive finds herself ensnared in a plan darker and more dangerous than she could have imagined, confronting a power that wants to be rid of her by any means necessary. It's up to Olive to save the house from the dark shadows, before the lights go out for good.
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010-06-30
Physical description
241 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
0545390532 / 9780545390538
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Pie by Sarah Weeks
Lexile
770L
User reviews
LibraryThing member phh333
Not a fun book. A story about a girl who fights an evil force that resides in the house. She enters the various paintings found around the house using some glasses. Events are very random. I'm afraid this is going to be a series.
LibraryThing member johneklund
PICTURE PERFECT MYSTERY AND ADVENTURE!
"The Shadows" by Jacqueline West is fantastic. It is about Olive, an ordinary eleven-year-old girl who discovers an extraordinary new world when her family moves into an old Victorian home adorned with unique paintings. Determined to unlock the mysteries of the
This book has the same heartwarming magic as "Harry Potter" and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." I'm looking forward to volume II.
"The Shadows" by Jacqueline West is fantastic. It is about Olive, an ordinary eleven-year-old girl who discovers an extraordinary new world when her family moves into an old Victorian home adorned with unique paintings. Determined to unlock the mysteries of the
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house, Olive finds herself in one adventure after another, and makes a few close friends along the way. This book has the same heartwarming magic as "Harry Potter" and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." I'm looking forward to volume II.
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LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
Olive's family buys an old, creepy house that is enormous.and full of odd paintings. Olive's parents are absorbed with Math and all things mathmatical so Olive has lots of time to explore. When she finds a pair of old glasses she discovers that she can actually go into the paintings. She also
This is the first of the Books of Elsewhere series. I really enjoyed it. I read it during lunch hours so it took a bit of time. Normally, it would have been a one sitting book, which can be fun. I liked the characters and loved the cats. There was action and mystery. I think this would appeal to boys and girls. I will be reading the next in the series.
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discovers a trio of talking cats who guard the house and it's "secret". Despite warnings from these cats, Olive continues to explore inside the paintings, popping in and out at will. Was it only a matter of time until something followed her out?This is the first of the Books of Elsewhere series. I really enjoyed it. I read it during lunch hours so it took a bit of time. Normally, it would have been a one sitting book, which can be fun. I liked the characters and loved the cats. There was action and mystery. I think this would appeal to boys and girls. I will be reading the next in the series.
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LibraryThing member jfoster_sf
This was a fun book about a girl who moves into a new house with her parents and discovers something unusual about the paintings--when she puts on a pair of glasses she finds, she can go inside them!!
LibraryThing member ASBiskey
This is well written book for readers from about fourth-grade on. The characters are well defined and fun, particularly the cats. A sense of suspense and magic builds as Olive explores the world(s) of her new house. I think that this is a very good addition to middle-reader fantasy literature.
LibraryThing member MissClark
2010 Debut Author ChallengeThis is one of very few middle-grade offerings from debut authors this year and it is such a great read. My younger sister effectively swiped this after I brought it home and finished it before I did. Part spooky mystery, partly a journey of growth, it is entirely
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enjoyable and fun, with some nice touches of humor and emotion amidst all the spookiness. Olive Dunwoody is eleven years old, friendless and recently moved into an old house in a new town. She is the daughter of two very skilled math prodigies, though she herself has no affinity for mathematics. But Olive soon notices some very strange things about her new home. For one thing, the strange paintings throughout the house cannot be removed from the walls. Also, several large talking cats seem to inhabit the house. And then on one of her explorations throughout the house, Olive finds a pair of spectacles that allow her to enter into the paintings. The only problem is that once she is on the other side, she discovers that there is a malevolent force that wants her gone from this house and may just happen to be the cause of a series of disappearances in the neighborhood over the years. Olive has to learn about friendship and courage and determination and I cannot wait to see what Jacqueline West writes next.The writing was simple, but with with a funny streak. The characters, esp. the cats, all enjoyable, although many are bot well-fleshed out, though hopefully with the progression of the series this will become less of an issue. One of the aspects I enjoyed most about this story was how likeable Olive's endearing parents were in all their arithmetical glory. They may a bit unobservant, but it never comes across as negligence or dislike. That is a precious rare thing to find in kids books. I would gladly recommend this to anyone looking for a good middle-grade read, esp. a mystery. Girls will probably like it better, but it is not girly, per se, although obviously the main protagonist is a young girl. Show Less
LibraryThing member missbrandysue
Olive has moved into a very old, strange house. She finds herself jumping into the paintings that are hung on the wall when she wears the magical spectacles she finds in the drawer in one of the old rooms. Not knowing who to trust (with an array of characters she meets) she soon helps destroy the
A great read! I thoroughly enjoyed the book and purchased #2 before even finishing this book. I love the characters and it isn't at all predictable in the sense that most children's fantasies turn out being. Highly recommended ages 8-108.
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evil Aldous McMartin from trapping innocent people in the pictures.A great read! I thoroughly enjoyed the book and purchased #2 before even finishing this book. I love the characters and it isn't at all predictable in the sense that most children's fantasies turn out being. Highly recommended ages 8-108.
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LibraryThing member elissajanine
A fun and creepy book with the kind of main character I would have loved to read as a child! Loved it!
LibraryThing member SheilaCornelisse
This is a fantastic suspense story for readers in the Grade 4 to 6 range. Just enough tension to keep you on the edge of your seat as Olive travels through the mysterious paintings to save their inhabitants, her house, her family, and herself from the evil spirits that are haunted them.
LibraryThing member JaclynPoe
Jacqueline West, actually attended my church as a young girl, and went to the same school as my children go to. The Shadows, is a phenomenal book of mystery and suspense. It is about a young girl named Olive, her three cats, and a ton of mysteries that go on inside of her "new" old house. This is a
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great book for children to read, it is full of fantasy and helps kids open their imaginations. I would suggest this book to older readers, 4th grade and up. However, I would certainly read it to younger children as well, it will surely capture their attention. Show Less
LibraryThing member tjsjohanna
I quite enjoyed Olive's adventures in her new house. I thought Ms. West set up an interesting contrast when she portrayed Olive as being thought of as not so smart but yet figuring out the mysteries of her new house and facing up to the villain in the story. It's a good message for kids - they may
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not be a whiz at math (or reading) but they can still be smart and figure things out. Show Less
LibraryThing member bulldogs456
This book is the first in the series. It is about Olive Dunwoody moving into this house that the former owner had a mysterious death in . She was not very thrilled about it. She finds out many secrets about this house and meets a friend that isn't quite alive. Read this book and the rest of the
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series and find out the secrets of the McMartin house with Olive on her adventure with three talking cats. Show Less
LibraryThing member brangwinn
This was a creepy book! It was an interesting concept to have pictures that someone with the special glasses could enter. I loved the cats and how they all different personalities.
LibraryThing member djenczyk
The descriptions, analogies, and metaphors the author uses is wonderful. It is great to see such colorful and imaginative writing for children. The story gets a bit dark and, due to the great descriptions, scared my daughter. She would make me stop reading. Two minutes later she would ask me to
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read it some more. Show Less
LibraryThing member pussreboots
The Shadows by Jacqueline West is the first of the The Books of Elsewhere series. It also won a CYBILS in 2011.
Olive and her math professor parents have moved into a decaying Victorian mansion. It's fully furnished with the furniture and paintings of the late Ms. McMartin. As Olive soon discovers,
As her parents are so focused on their new jobs, and their careers, Olive is left to herself and to the house. She begins to notice things like shadows moving in the paintings. Later, she discovers a way to travel through the paintings. What at first seems like harmless fun, though, quickly becomes something dangerous.
As others have pointed out, there's a similarity to Neil Gaiman's Coraline. But the experience of moving into a house is a pretty standard set up for fiction — especially for horror and fantasy.
As a fan of houses with creepy histories, and with the surrealism of traveling through artwork, I loved this book. Although it's written for readers still new to chapter books and longer works, it held my attention. It also has some wonderful black and white illustrations.
Olive and her math professor parents have moved into a decaying Victorian mansion. It's fully furnished with the furniture and paintings of the late Ms. McMartin. As Olive soon discovers,
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it's also inhabited by her cats — and they can talk.As her parents are so focused on their new jobs, and their careers, Olive is left to herself and to the house. She begins to notice things like shadows moving in the paintings. Later, she discovers a way to travel through the paintings. What at first seems like harmless fun, though, quickly becomes something dangerous.
As others have pointed out, there's a similarity to Neil Gaiman's Coraline. But the experience of moving into a house is a pretty standard set up for fiction — especially for horror and fantasy.
As a fan of houses with creepy histories, and with the surrealism of traveling through artwork, I loved this book. Although it's written for readers still new to chapter books and longer works, it held my attention. It also has some wonderful black and white illustrations.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MrsBookOwl
When I saw the book trailer for this one I definitely wanted to read it. I thought it looked really fun especially for the tween set.
The Characters: Olive was a cute girl that I think a lot of tween girls could relate to. She isn't this "has it all together knows what she's doing girl." Most of
The characters that I really think stole the show were the three cats - Horatio, Harvey and Leopold. Those cats were so funny! Without them the story would not have been as strong or fun. We would laugh a lot at their actions and thoughts. I'm so glad they were a part of the story. Not only did they help Olive, they also helped make the story fun.
The Plot - The story builds pretty quickly which it has to because it's a pretty short book. It isn't long before Olive is pulled into the secrets of her new house. From their it builds up nicely with some good twists and turns making you realize you can't trust any of your first thoughts - or can you??? It has a healthy dose of mystery along with the spookiness, so that really keeps the reader guessing. The final climatic scene really builds the tension nicely. You the scene is going to have a great conclusion, but you aren't sure how Olive is going to pull it off. The scariness of the plot was just right for the tween set. Suspenseful, a bit spooky and lots of last minute escapes.
Final thought: Perfect spooky mystery for the tween set.
Best stick-with-you image: The final scene when Olive was being talked to in the dark
Best for readers who: Like a little spookiness
Best for ages: 8-11
The Characters: Olive was a cute girl that I think a lot of tween girls could relate to. She isn't this "has it all together knows what she's doing girl." Most of
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the time she's scared and uncertain. She second guesses herself over and over. That's why I liked her! Teacher middle school - I see a lot of girls just like her. Olive would be a girl I could easily imagine in my class. At the same time though, she had this fantastic strength running through her. As scared as the events in the story are for her, she doesn't back down. She pulls all her nerve together and steps up. Olive always looked at what was going on, came up with a plan and carried it out. The characters that I really think stole the show were the three cats - Horatio, Harvey and Leopold. Those cats were so funny! Without them the story would not have been as strong or fun. We would laugh a lot at their actions and thoughts. I'm so glad they were a part of the story. Not only did they help Olive, they also helped make the story fun.
The Plot - The story builds pretty quickly which it has to because it's a pretty short book. It isn't long before Olive is pulled into the secrets of her new house. From their it builds up nicely with some good twists and turns making you realize you can't trust any of your first thoughts - or can you??? It has a healthy dose of mystery along with the spookiness, so that really keeps the reader guessing. The final climatic scene really builds the tension nicely. You the scene is going to have a great conclusion, but you aren't sure how Olive is going to pull it off. The scariness of the plot was just right for the tween set. Suspenseful, a bit spooky and lots of last minute escapes.
Final thought: Perfect spooky mystery for the tween set.
Best stick-with-you image: The final scene when Olive was being talked to in the dark
Best for readers who: Like a little spookiness
Best for ages: 8-11
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LibraryThing member KatieCarella
This book was wonderful! I can't wait to read the next in the series! :) Lots of mystery and great characters too!
LibraryThing member krau0098
I have had this book (it’s actually my son’s book) to read for awhile. This was a creative, creepy, and well done middle grade mystery/fantasy. I ended up enjoying it quite a bit.
The whole book has a very dark and creepy tone to it. The premise is familiarly middle grade in tone (a kid moves
There is a main mystery/problem that is dealt with in this book but there are still many more mysteries to unravel in this mansion. Some parts are a bit gory and scary but it never gets too intense.
My son hasn’t read it yet, but it is definitely one I think he would like. In fact I think any kids who loves cats (I mean talking cats! Who doesn’t love that!) and enjoys a slightly spooky read will love this.
My only complaint is that Olive’s parents are fairly absent (both in mind and presence throughout the story). They are mathematicians and dismissed as too clueless and caught up in their own lives to be part of Olive’s. While I enjoy Olive’s parents’ quirky mathematician background, I dislike it when middle grade stories distance the kids from their parents and portray adults as unhelpful and too universally stupid to actively be part of the story.
Overall I enjoyed the book. I liked the writing style, the gloomy atmosphere, and the creative idea of traveling through paintings. I didn’t really like the relationship (or lack thereof) that Olive had with her parents, but aside from that I thought this was a good book. It is a lower middle grade reading level, so the story was a bit simple for me. However, I will probably read the next book in the series anyway.
The whole book has a very dark and creepy tone to it. The premise is familiarly middle grade in tone (a kid moves
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into a creepy old house with a sorted history and has to solve a mystery there) but also very creative (I love the idea that Olive can travel through the paintings).There is a main mystery/problem that is dealt with in this book but there are still many more mysteries to unravel in this mansion. Some parts are a bit gory and scary but it never gets too intense.
My son hasn’t read it yet, but it is definitely one I think he would like. In fact I think any kids who loves cats (I mean talking cats! Who doesn’t love that!) and enjoys a slightly spooky read will love this.
My only complaint is that Olive’s parents are fairly absent (both in mind and presence throughout the story). They are mathematicians and dismissed as too clueless and caught up in their own lives to be part of Olive’s. While I enjoy Olive’s parents’ quirky mathematician background, I dislike it when middle grade stories distance the kids from their parents and portray adults as unhelpful and too universally stupid to actively be part of the story.
Overall I enjoyed the book. I liked the writing style, the gloomy atmosphere, and the creative idea of traveling through paintings. I didn’t really like the relationship (or lack thereof) that Olive had with her parents, but aside from that I thought this was a good book. It is a lower middle grade reading level, so the story was a bit simple for me. However, I will probably read the next book in the series anyway.
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LibraryThing member Jadedog13
Ms. McMartin was definitely dead.
- Opening sentence
Something was moving inside the painting, a tiny white shape flitting between the silhouettes of the wiry trees.
- Chapter 2
She couldn't leave the basement lights on all day, with the environment already in such bad shape.
- Chapter 3
"A house
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, this house belongs to someone else. And that someone may not want you here."
- discussion between Olive and Horatio (a cat)
Chapter 4
Olive owned six pairs of slippers, but none of them were ever where they belonged. This was because Olive's body often did things without consulting Olive's brain, which was usually busy with something much more interesting than putting things away in the right place. A second pair of socks would have to do.
-Chapter 9
Olive's parents are both mathematicians and Olive, well her grades in math are "lackluster". Let's just say that Olive's parents don't understand her. When they move into the house, Olive can sense something strange. She sees things moving in the paintings. Then a mysterious cat appears and starts talking to her about someone who doesn't want them there. After Olive finds a pair of spectacles and discovers she can enter the paintings, things only get more dangerous and exciting.
When I read the part about Olive's body doing things without consulting Olive's brain, I laughed out loud. That must be why I can never find things, my brain is too busy with more important things like thinking about books. ;)
This is a fantastic fantasy adventure. Olive is a strong, brave girl, who doesn't back down when faced with some crazy circumstances. The book reminded me a lot of Coraline by Neil Gaiman. But West puts a new spin on the idea that makes this book a fun read in its own right.
I will continue to read this series. I am excited to see where West takes Olive, Horatio, Harvey and Leopold next (Those are the three talking cats, btw).
Recommended to:
Readers ages 9-12 who like magical adventures.
- Opening sentence
Something was moving inside the painting, a tiny white shape flitting between the silhouettes of the wiry trees.
- Chapter 2
She couldn't leave the basement lights on all day, with the environment already in such bad shape.
- Chapter 3
"A house
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doesn't belong to someone just because it has been paid for. Houses are much trickier than that.""What do you mean?"
"I mean, this house belongs to someone else. And that someone may not want you here."
- discussion between Olive and Horatio (a cat)
Chapter 4
Olive owned six pairs of slippers, but none of them were ever where they belonged. This was because Olive's body often did things without consulting Olive's brain, which was usually busy with something much more interesting than putting things away in the right place. A second pair of socks would have to do.
-Chapter 9
Olive's parents are both mathematicians and Olive, well her grades in math are "lackluster". Let's just say that Olive's parents don't understand her. When they move into the house, Olive can sense something strange. She sees things moving in the paintings. Then a mysterious cat appears and starts talking to her about someone who doesn't want them there. After Olive finds a pair of spectacles and discovers she can enter the paintings, things only get more dangerous and exciting.
When I read the part about Olive's body doing things without consulting Olive's brain, I laughed out loud. That must be why I can never find things, my brain is too busy with more important things like thinking about books. ;)
This is a fantastic fantasy adventure. Olive is a strong, brave girl, who doesn't back down when faced with some crazy circumstances. The book reminded me a lot of Coraline by Neil Gaiman. But West puts a new spin on the idea that makes this book a fun read in its own right.
I will continue to read this series. I am excited to see where West takes Olive, Horatio, Harvey and Leopold next (Those are the three talking cats, btw).
Recommended to:
Readers ages 9-12 who like magical adventures.
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LibraryThing member alaina.loescher
This was a fun read. I can see this book being useful for having students make character descriptions as the personalities of the characters are eclectic and stable. In general, I found the book to be a little bit hard to follow in parts and the plot felt haphazardly put together. This book is a
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relatively easy read though for struggling readers that are the creative type. Show Less
LibraryThing member lon2000
About a girl named Olive who moves into an old house with her parents. She meets 3 magical cats and discovers she can go into the paintings on the walls with a pair of magical glasses she finds. The house was previous
Y owned by a family of witches
Y owned by a family of witches
LibraryThing member bobbybslax
Reminds me a bit of Coraline with its mysterious, near ominous sense of curiosity. It’s a short read, which helped since I wasn’t overly impressed with its storytelling or characters. The cats were cute. If you’re hankering for more Coraline in a series of books to read, this seems a
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sufficient starter. Show Less
LibraryThing member skstiles612
I've seen this book on several blogs and finally purchased it. The idea that you could put on a pair of spectacles and go through a picture was an idea that really fascinated me. It must have fascinated the main character in this book. Olive Dunwoody and her parents have always lived in apartments.
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Now her parents have purchased an old victorian style house. As mathematicians they have fallen in love with all of the antiques in the house. They don't care that the previous owner died there. Olive, alone most of the time, spends her time going through the old things in the house. She is drawn to the strange pictures that line the wall. She finds it strange that the pictures are so connected to the walls it is as if they have grown out of them. When she finds the strange spectacles and puts them on she realizes the pictures come to life. That isn't the only strange thing about them. When she leans in too close to get a closer look she actually starts to go through the pictures. Entering the first one she meets and young boy named Morton. Morton seems whiny and frightened. Olive feels someone or something is watching her and everyone she meets in the paintings tell her that "He" is watching. Can Olive find out who "He" is, what he wants and stop him before it's too late? I really loved this book. It was so worth the wait. I can't wait to recommend this to my students. This is just the first book in a series of four or five. I look forward to reading all of them. Show Less
Awards
Texas Bluebonnet Award (Nominee — 2012)
Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2014)
Massachusetts Children's Book Award (Nominee — 2015)
Great Stone Face Book Award (Nominee — 2012)
Sasquatch Book Award (Nominee — 2013)
Bluestem Award (Nominee — 2013)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 3-5 — 2013)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — 2013)
Grand Canyon Reader Award (Nominee — Intermediate — 2013)
CYBILS Awards (Winner — 2010)
Minnesota Book Awards (Finalist — Young People's Literature — 2011)
Call number
J3C.Wes