The Secret of the Painted House

By Marion Dane Bauer

Book Overview

When Emily finds a locked playhouse in the woods, she can't resist peeking through the windows. Inside, the walls are painted to look just like the surrounding woods, right down to an identical white playhouse with blue shutters. But the playhouse is not as deserted as Emily first thought. A girl Emily's age lives on the painted walls--and she's dying for Emily to join her Newbery Honor-winning author Marion Dane Bauer crafts an eerie story for young mystery lovers guaranteed to send shivers down their spines. Marion Dane Bauer is the author of more than 40 books for children, including the Newbery Honor'winning book On My Honor and Rain of Fire, which won a Jane Adams Peace Association Award. She has also won the Kerlan Award for the body of her work. The Blue Ghost is her most recent book for this age group. She lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. From the Hardcover edition.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375940790
• ISBN13: 9780375940798
• Release Date: July 2007
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.7" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 6 to 9 years
• Grade Range: Grades 1 to 4

Customer Reviews

Ms. S Book Reviews

When 9 year-old Emily moves to the country, she sets out to explore the "forest" that surrounds her new home before her family even finishes unpacking. Curiosity takes over when she discovers a child's playhouse in a small clearing. The playhouse is locked, but Emily finds herself drawn to the mysterious paintings on the walls inside, so she decides she must find a way in. She discovers another world is waiting inside the playhouse--an eerie world that is inhabited by a lonely ghost. Emily must first find a way to make the ghost happy, and then get herself and Logan out of the maze of paintings before they are trapped inside this frightening, painted world forever. The characters in this story are believable, including the ghost, who behaves much like an angry child. The storyline draws the reader in immediately, and while the suspense is not overwhelming for a young reader, it will keep them glued to the book. The few illustrations are simple, but beautifully capture the expressions of each character. The interest level of this book is ages 9-12, but slightly older struggling readers will enjoy it too. Marion Dane Bauer has created moments of suspense and spine tingling mystery that will appeal to many young readers.

Her entry into her new friend's world may prove a trap for them all

Emily's family moved from the city to the country and she's not happy: there's nothing to do in the woods - or so she thinks. Her explorations reveal a locked playhouse which houses a young, lonely ghost - and her entry into her new friend's world may prove a trap for them all in Marion Dane Bauer's fast-paced SECRET OF THE PAINTED HOUSE.