Reviews from the Children's Section - Greenglass House

One of my favorite genres and one that is the easiest for me to push aside is middle grade fiction. This year to make sure I get a little more children's and young adult fiction I thought I would designate the first Monday of every month Middle Grade Monday.  While a lot of my picks this year are classics I am trying to branch out a little bit and read new or at least recent releases.  This month's book is a fairly recent release and one that was completely new to me - Greenglass House by Kate Milford.

Greenglass House by Kate Milford I didn't go into this book with any expectations.  My main requirement was a Middle Grade book that took place during Christmas that wasn't Little Women.  I was intrigued by the mysterious house that was turned into an inn and the history of smuggling all around it so I decided to give it a try and I'm so glad I did!  This book was such a fun adventure story with mysterious clues and sinister characters.

Milo is the main character and the book is exclusively from his POV.  He's less than thrilled when all the unexpected guests arrive at his family's inn at Christmas time (which is usually quiet and his time to just hang out with his parents) and even less thrilled when the cook brings her 10 year old daughter, Meddy, with her to stay as long as the guests.  But soon items start going missing and Milo and Meddy are in full investigative mode with secret identities and skills.  There's a certain fantasy element to the characters and the setting.  The crazy old house and the eccentric guests feel a bit exaggerated which really added to the fun of the book.  I loved the relationship between Milo and his parents as well as Milo's struggle with being adopted.  It felt very healthy and positive and I was not surprised that the author had some experience with adoption though it never felt like a "life lesson".

While I enjoyed the book from start to finish it wasn't the fastest pace at the beginning.  It wasn't slow but it wasn't un-put-downable until about halfway through when I couldn't wait to find out what happened next!  This was a great read for adults and 4th grade and up.  I was excited to see a sequel came out earlier this year and I'm already looking forward to spending more time with Milo, Meddy, and Mr. and Mrs. Pine at Greenglass House.  Rating: Very Good