Written by Elana K. Arnold
“Once, not very long ago, there were two houses side by side. In one house lived a boy: in the other lived no one. But that, and everything else, was about to change. Let me tell you what happened.”
Alder lives in one house. Oak moves into the empty house. The two children’s stories collide in a beautiful, magical tale. Alder and Oak meet under difficult circumstances and as the story unravels, deep connections are revealed, a mystery is solved, and they become friends. The characters, including a strange opossum named Mort, are quite endearing and well developed. The story is a message about family and friendship and helps us realize how we might be connected with others more than we realize. I completely loved The House That Wasn’t There!
Reviewed by Heidi Reed, Media Clerk, Morningside Elementary School Library
Review shared in November 2021
Rating: ★★★★★ (5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 4-6
The House That Wasn’t There
Written by Elana K. Arnold
Walden Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
278 pages
Release Date: March 30, 2021
ISBN: 9780062937063 (hardcover) / 9780062937070 (paperback)
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
