by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Book 1: Winterhouse
Book 2: The Secrets of Winterhouse
Book 3: The Winterhouse Mysteries
Amazon rating: 4.6/5.0, grades 4-7
Good Reads: 4/5
Common Sense Media: 4/5, age 9+
4Rbooks: 4.5/6, Grades 6+
Synopsis:
Side note to start. The covers of these three books are among the most interesting I’ve ever seen on a book. Very unique designs. It’s what attracted me to them in the beginning, they are that good.
You are going to notice quite a few Harry Potter similarities throughout this series. Elizabeth Somers, 11, is an orphan being raised by her aunt and uncle, who aren’t always nice to her. They send her to the Winterhouse Hotel for the holidays. There she finds the manager, Norbridge, waiting for her, and a staff ready to take care of her and make sure she is safe. She meets a young man named Freddy who is also staying there by himself and working at the hotel while his parents are traveling.
Elizabeth loves to read and finds an amazing library in the hotel. Freddy is working on special projects, and the two of them love to play word games and solve puzzles. They also have realistic problems that all friends go through. Over the course of the three books, Elizabeth learns about her parents, her extended family, and her special powers. Each story leads to a confrontation between Elizabeth and an evil relative with special powers, too.
While each book follows a somewhat similar story line, there is enough difference between the arcs of all three stories to make each one feel different and worthwhile to read.
Parental Guidance: medium
If you have issues with stories involving magic, dark arts, and evil spirits, this is not a book I would recommend for you. As I stated earlier, these stories have much in common with the Harry Potter series.
Besides the magic component, there’s only a couple of other things parents should think about. Elizabeth and Freddy have both been sent by their parents to live by themselves at a hotel. That, of course, would be awkward, if not illegal, in real life. There are also a few scenes of creepy danger, though rarely life threatening.
Recommendation: medium+
While I enjoyed reading all three books, they are long and detailed, definitely meant for advanced elementary readers or middle school students. I think a typical elementary student would have trouble completing each book. Advanced readers should also enjoy the word games and puzzles involved throughout the novels. There are many references to books and novels that might inspire future reads, and many of Freddy’s projects could excite the more scientific reader. Elizabeth makes both good and bad choices throughout the novels, and she is tempted throughout the series to use her power for evil vs. good. Her choices could lead to discussions about making the right choices in life.
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