Small Spaces
by Katherine Arden
Bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic
After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie only finds solace in books. So when she happens upon a crazed woman at the river threatening to throw a book into the water, Ollie doesn't think--she just acts, stealing the book and running away. As she begins to read the slender volume, Ollie discovers a chilling story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who both loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man," a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price.
Ollie is captivated by the tale until her school trip the next day to Smoke Hollow, a local farm with a haunting history all its own. There she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about. Could it be the story about the smiling man is true? Ollie doesn't have too long to think about the answer to that. On the way home, the school bus breaks down, sending their teacher back to the farm for help. But the strange bus driver has some advice for the kids left behind in his care: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch, a keepsake reminder of better times, begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN.
Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed the bus driver's warning. As the trio head out into the woods--bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them--the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small."
And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.
Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
When I read the blurb for Small Spaces, I thought it would be fun to read along with my two mid-grade kiddos. One's a girly-girl, and the other is all rough and tough boy, so they have vastly different interests. They do, however, both love creepy stories and very little scares either of them. Needless to say, I was surprised when both of them scooted a little closer to me during some parts of this book. I was also a little relieved. Those scarecrows are downright creepy. With that in mind, I wouldn't recommend this one for younger kids or even older ones who are easily scared, but if your kids enjoy RL Stine, Stranger Things, and Goosebumps, they should like this one, and they'll even learn a few lessons along the way. The story is well-written and Arden certainly has a gift for setting a scene, the characters are developed, and the storyline covers a variety of genres and does a great job of tackling some tough topics, especially for that age group.
When I read the blurb for Small Spaces, I thought it would be fun to read along with my two mid-grade kiddos. One's a girly-girl, and the other is all rough and tough boy, so they have vastly different interests. They do, however, both love creepy stories and very little scares either of them. Needless to say, I was surprised when both of them scooted a little closer to me during some parts of this book. I was also a little relieved. Those scarecrows are downright creepy. With that in mind, I wouldn't recommend this one for younger kids or even older ones who are easily scared, but if your kids enjoy RL Stine, Stranger Things, and Goosebumps, they should like this one, and they'll even learn a few lessons along the way. The story is well-written and Arden certainly has a gift for setting a scene, the characters are developed, and the storyline covers a variety of genres and does a great job of tackling some tough topics, especially for that age group.
❃❃ARC provided by NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group
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