Thank you to KidLit Exchange, the author and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book is a haunted house ghost story for kids! Perfect for middle grade ages, The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street follows Tessa, a young girl who is unhappy about moving from Florida to Chicago with her family. She is also not thrilled about living in the dark and gloomy Victorian house her parents have bought at 'a steal'. Right away, Tessa notices things are amiss: her art supplies are never where she left them, strange markings are showing up on her art pads and the lights in the house flicker out at odd times. Her younger brothers says he sees ghosts. Before long, Tessa thinks that a spirit in the house is trying to communicate with her in an effort to solve a century-old mystery. Along with some new friends she has made at school, Tessa is determined to put the mystery, and the ghost who is haunting her, to rest.

I rate this one five stars! It was so good and written so well for the age range it is targeted at. I had my 11 year-old-daughter read this one too and she really liked it. My daughter is a big scaredy-cat, and she kept telling me the book was creepy and scary, but she never reached a point where thought it was too scary for her. I thought the mystery aspect of the book was engaging and believable (as much as a ghost story can be believed) and I really liked the writing. Sometimes middle grade books try to hard to be "hip" and use language that is meant to sound edgy but just comes across as unnatural. The Incident on Shady Street didn't do that, in fact, I thought the characters and dialogue were all very age appropriate. engaging and believable. If you have a middle schooler, pre-order this book for the Halloween season! Your child will love it!

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie

5 Stars! I loved this book so much!

Tessa is uprooted from her Flordia home when her dad gets a new dream job. She's relocated to Chicago, which is nothing like Flordia and Tessa hates everything about it. Weird things start to happen in Tessa's new house and her parents seem to be oblivious. Pictures are drawn in her sketchbook when she knows she didn't draw them. The electric flickers and its storms a lot. The temperature drops suddenly to icy cold and she hears a child crying. It's up to her and her new friends to figure out what's going on.

This story was a little bit spooky, I really enjoyed the mystery aspect of it. I loved that it was a real ghost story. You can Google “Inez Clarke” and read all about it. It makes it seem even more real. It's historical and captivating. I couldn't put it down. It's a fantastic read for the Halloween season and there are so many life lessons woven through out the story. I was really impressed by it overall. 5 Stars! Definitely a new favorite read!

I thought this book would be a good suggested title for my readers who enjoyed the Goosebumps series and were ready to move on to more substantial plot and character development as well as relevant life experiences (ok, well, maybe not the ghost part) to pre-teens and young teens. The story is quick-paced and keeps the reader wanting to know what happens next to group of young ghost hunters on the loose in Chicago. A fun suspense story without too much scare.

I had the opportunity to read a digital-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for this review. Just in time for Halloween comes this spooky story that will have readers listening for things that go bump in the night.
Tessa, a seventh grader, is already miserable to be moving from her home in sunny Florida to cold and rainy Chicago. The new house is old and creepy, and Tessa has reason to believe that it’s haunted. There are too many strange things happening: unexplained power outages, strange drawings appearing on her sketchpad, and real tears coming from her younger brother’s doll. There’s a lot for Tessa to learn in her new neighborhood, and thankfully, she’s made a few friends that are willing to help her get to the bottom of this mystery.
I think that this will be a popular book with middle grade readers. This book mixes the fun of a spooky ghost story with the normal adolescent stressors of a new school, a new neighborhood, and new friends. I think that kids will be able to relate to all of these things. The story moves along quickly, and the unfolding drama of these strange occurrences will have readers engaged throughout.

A girl unravels a centuries-old mystery after moving into a haunted house in this deliciously suspenseful mystery. 

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie is another great middle grades book your tween is sure to love. The pairing of ghost story and friendship adventure tale reminds me of a few great adventure stories from my own childhood.

The characters are well developed, while they may not model a true school experience, readers will fall in love with the characters. The theme of friendship and life changes were well developed and executed. With relatable, easy to read the dialogue.

This story is very well crafted, learning how and why Tessa's home was haunted was written so well, it would give any of the older R.L. Stein stories a run for their money. As an adult, if you read this story you will know exactly what I'm talking about. Read this with your younger children and discuss--you may be able to teach them something new! This story is perfect for advanced 8 and 9-year-olds through age 13.

Tess is not happy that her family has moved to Chicago from Florida. To make matters worse it seems that her house is haunted. Tess makes a couple of new friends and together they investigate to find out what is going on with Tess's house on Shady Street. Their research takes them to a nearby cemetery where they begin to connect the haunted happenings in Tess's house to a six-year-old girl who died over a hundred years before. The friends' journey to figure out the mystery is filled with just enough spookiness to entertain middle grade readers without being too dark or scary. Middle grade readers who like spooky stories and mysteries will be intrigued by the plot of this book. But, this book is more than just a spooky story. Tess is a wonderful character navigating middle school life as she moves to a new place and has to make new friends. Tess shows that it's possible to make the best of a situation that is less than ideal. Middle grade readers will also be able to relate to the challenges of friendship and getting along with others that Tess works through in the book.

Twelve year old Tessa has moved to Chicago with her family, leaving her best friend and her beloved state of Florida. The first thing that she finds out is that her new house is haunted! Flickering lights, mysterious drawings, the sound of a child crying and her brother's creepy puppet talking to her have Tessa totally freaked out, but her new friends not only believe her, but are willing to help her solve the mystery and find out which ghost is haunting her house and why. This is a great Halloween month read for middle grade kids!

Tessa is not overly thrilled about moving from Florida to Chicago, but her dad just got his dream job in the symphony orchestra so she is uprooted from her best friend and life in Florida. Things get worse though when strange things start happening in her old house - cold air, creaking, getting locked in the bathroom, missing items, mysterious sketches, and a talking ventriloquist dummy. Fortunately, Tessa meets some new friends who help her in her investigations. They soon learn of a legendary ghost Inez Clarke who may or may not be buried in a nearby cemetery. But who was Inez? Did she really exist? And why would she be trying to communicate with Tessa?

I thought this had good creep factor - some familiar tropes but there was an underlying theme of friendship that made this a bit different. I liked it.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster, Lindsay Currie, the Kid Lit Exchange network, and Netgalley for the advance copy of this spooky middle grades story. It is out 10/10 and is perfect for readers who want just the right amount of creepy.

Tessa and her family relocate to Chicago from Florida, and from the start the new house gives her the creeps. She hears noises, finds things moved, and has a generally uneasy feeling that something isn't right. The weather outside doesn't help, as storms seem to pop up as soon as the family arrives in the Windy City. With the help of some friends, Tessa unravels a centuries-old urban legend. Is her house haunted?

This is perfect for middle school readers who like Mary Downing Hahn's ghost stories. It's the right amount of spooky without being over the top. It is sure to be a hit when it is released next month!

Let me tell ya, I'm glad there wasn't a lightning storm while I read this very atmospheric novel. Though, considering I read this spooky ghost story in two nights, there wasn't much time for one! It's no secret I'm a fan of history and I love how the author brought this infamous Chicago ghost story to life, in a way where I had to know what was coming next -- immediately. What a wonderful MG debut by Lindsay Currie that I'd recommend to all youngsters during the autumn and Halloween month(s)!

Great creepy middle grade book. I will definitely have kids in mind that love creepy books who will eat this up. very well written in my opinion, I loved this book.

It wasn't Tessa Woodward's decision to move her family from Florida to Chicago. And it certainly wasn't her decision to move them a month after school started. Nor is she especially excited to live in a haunted house. And it's... really haunted. Like, not just a little haunted. The ghost is even communicating through her brother's ventriloquist's dummy. AS if that weren't creepy enough to start with.

But, at least it does help lead her to making friends. While Tessa doesn't actually believe in ghosts, her new friends are willing to help her do research in order to solve her problem.

While 3/4 of the book was fairly intriguing, the end was WAY too sappy for me.



Three stars

This book comes out October 10

You've been there before, picking up and moving on from the familiarity of loved ones and friends to that big move to the unknown. Tessa finds herself in this same boat, or minivan rather-for 19 hours! Traveling from balmy Fort Meyers to the windy city for her dad's new job with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Well, what could go wrong when you move into a 19th-century fixer-upper on Shady Street? How about being kept awake by things that go bump in the night? Isn't it enough having to start over at a new school as the new girl? A series of peculiar incidents reveals a mystery that can no longer go ignored. Tessa didn't exactly sign on for this whole ghost hunting thing but with the help of her new friends, she just might be able to face her fears.

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street took me back to the days I used to spend watching R.L. Stine's Haunting Hour with my daughter. It was perfectly eerie with just enough spook to satisfy the reader who is looking for their next spooky read. I anticipate this being a huge hit with my students.

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street does a great job of pairing a creepy ghost mystery with a friendship adventure tale. Learning about how and why Tessa is being haunted in her new home was well done and provided just enough scariness for a middle grade reader. As an adult, I found the ending to be a little too tidy, but I think the 8-12 crowd will likely be just fine with it. A well crafted ghost story for tweens who want a happy ending.

A nice, creepy mystery for middle grade readers.

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street, by Lindsay Currie, is a middle-grade suspense novel that will give you chills and tickle your funny bone. In it, we meet seventh-grader Tessa and her quirky, artistic & loveable family. When her father's new job with the Chicago Symphony moves them from Florida to Illinois, the novel embarks on a storyline that will be familiar to many readers: the upheaval of Tessa's comfortable routine, leaving behind her best friend, and the tension of starting a new school in an unfamiliar place where she doesn't know anyone. But what makes this story unique is its basis in a real Chicago ghost story in history, and because I grew up near Chicago, I remembered it. This made the experience of reading the novel even more fascinating for me, but the mysterious ways in which Currie drops clues will keep all readers interested.

Not long after Tessa and her family have moved into their Chicago home, a greystone that is over a hundred years old, she begins seeing and hearing unusual, creepy things. Her mother's art supplies go inexplicably missing, there are mysterious drawings in her sketchpad, crying sounds in the night, and her brother's ventriloquist dummy doll cries real tears. There is a goosebump chill factor to Currie's writing that recalls R.L. Stine, and in fact there are small references in the book to 90s pop culture that seem to let readers know what the writer herself may have had experience with growing up. As an adult reader, these type of finds within a children's book are delicious. For young readers, I imagine it could lead them to new and interesting things!

Beyond the excitement of things that go bump in the night, the strength of this novel is in its characters and their developing friendships. Tessa's new friends - Andrew, Nina & Richie - each have unique personalities that spark off the page. In a book that could have focused completely on solving the mystery of Tessa's haunted house, it also became a story about the importance of friendship. Tessa's friends play an integral part in her journey of beginning a new school, learning to navigate a new city and helping her solve a mystery over a century old. Also deserving of a mention is that there is a girl who hangs a bit on the edges of Tessa's new friendships - Cassidy, a girl who isn't immediately welcoming and Tessa doesn't know why. Though not given a lot of attention, this part of the story is important because it is through a challenging relationship like this that middle-grade readers will feel the story's reality. Middle school is tough,. Making new friends is tough. Understanding our differences is....really tough. But, as Tessa learns, seeing our truths is important.

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street is ultimately a book about challenge, independence, friendship and the importance of figuring out who we really are. These seemingly heavy topics are made lighter by wrapping them inside of a spine-tingling ghost story. Kids will love the laughs, chills and moments of sweetness it brings, and hopefully look beyond the book for information on the real Chicago ghost legend itself. When I finished the book, it made me nostalgic to return home myself, and perhaps visit Graceland Cemetery to see the famed statue of one brave girl. But before I make the journey, I'll be sure to call my friends.

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street presents like a creepy MG thriller and it delivers on this promise with a moderately scary plot that will be suitable for almost all middle grade readers. It’s certainly creepy but young children are not likely to be too scared. In addition, like other creepy books that my grade 5-7 students have enjoyed such as The Nest by Kenneth Oppel or The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier, the book has many other important messages and themes that are delivered in a subtle fashion through engaging characters.
Tessa is a young middle school aged girl whose life is in a state of upheaval when her family moves from Florida to Chicago. She misses her best friend, Rachel, and is not sure how she will thrive in the Windy City without her. Matters are compounded when strange things begin to happen in the old house the family moves into, which her parents got for a “steal”. With her parents busy sorting out their new job and unpacking, Tessa is not sure who to turn to. Luckily, Tessa stumbles upon Andrew and the two form a friendship that gives Tessa some of the support she needs to puzzle through what is really going on and find the courage to survive increasingly freaky events.
The possibility of a ghost being in her house provides a mystery that readers will love trying to solve with Tessa and her friends, making the story both spooky and thoughtful. Tessa benefits from the help of Nina, who loves researching the paranormal and knows that Tessa is “having a bad time and… need(s) help right now.” The kids in this book know that part of being a friend is giving someone what they really need. Friendship is key to characters in this book. When they have it, things are positive and hopeful, and the characters that are unable or unwilling to lean on friends at certain points are shown to struggle.
Young readers are often attracted to spooky plot lines and it’s here in abundance with ghosts, creepy noises in an old house and a walk in a cemetery, but readers will also be engaged by the characters working together and overcoming fear. The message that family and friends should support each other is also perfect for MG readers. This would be a good addition to any library around Halloween, but also throughout the year.

Thank you Lindsay Currie and the KidLitExchange network for providing me with a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own. This book will be released 10.10.17

Wow!!! What a great book. This might be set as a middle grade paranormal mystery, but it definitely kept this mama intrigued and stumped throughout the entire story. This book centers around a real Chicago legend and is a full on ghost story that will leave you giddy with excitement as well as a tad creeped out.

"She was missing her home. Her place. Just. Like. Me."

The main character, Tessa Woodward, is relocating from Florida to Chicago with her family. She's in 7th grade and not happy about leaving her life behind and starting over in a different city. It doesn't help when they move into a haunted house on Shady Street where peculiar things keep happening - strange noises, mysterious drawings, changing artwork and hidden belongings. There's also a ventriloquist dummy that actually sheds tears and a vanishing cemetery statue too. Eek!! The author did a wonderful job of describing various spooky scenes. Many times I would finish a chapter and continue onto the next because she set up a perfect cliffhanger. I love the fact that these incidents were creepy, but that the kids questioned the occurrences. They researched and even used science to dispel a theory. That's a brilliant idea to introduce young readers to as a way to cope with fear!!! It was also great to hear a few characters realize that they were thankful to have something so crazy to focus on because it distracted them from their own problems for just a moment.

The characters are so great in this book. They are innocent and come from various backgrounds. Yet they all accept each other's flaws and work together to solve the mystery. On the surface, this may appear to be just a ghost story, but the characters add a whole new dimension and teach the reader some valuable lessons about friendship and acceptance. Tessa is a wonderful lead. We watch her deal with a lot of emotions as the story progresses. Many kids will find it easy to relate to her character. She is not happy about moving out of her beloved state, sad about leaving her best friend, anxious to attend a new school, embarrassed by her parent's quirky behavior, desperate for a phone and hesitant to let everyone see her true self. We watch her deal with all of that and finally find peace in the end. There's a wonderful paragraph where she realizes that everyone is different and complicated, but if you take the time to get to know someone that's what makes them unique. The side characters are just as great. I absolutely loved Andrew and Nina. I also adored the free range parents. Their antics had me giggling on several occasions. I appreciate the conversation Tessa has with her mother about phones and how they interfere with experiences!!! So true.

I love books that introduce me to local legends and send me scurrying to the internet once done to look up a few more facts and real life pictures. That's exactly what I did! This book is inspired by the real life ghost legend of Inez Clarke from Chicago. Seeing photos of the actual cemetery and grave monument did give me chills. I learned a new term - coimetrophobia. I've never had an issue with death or graveyards. In fact, I enjoy walking around cemeteries. The older the better. I love reading all of the names you typically don't hear anymore or finding emblems for various guilds. However, I know that's not the case for many. Hopefully, this will help others view grave sites and ghost stories a bit differently.

I highly recommend this book for middle grade readers and fans of R.L. Stine. It's an unique story that you can view many different ways and would make a great selection for book clubs!!!!

There definitely aren't enough quality spooky stories out there for middle grade readers. While I loved Tessa's bravery and her determination, the way that the ending was tied up so perfectly left me unsettled. I like a bit more edge when it comes to speculative fiction. I would have liked to see more creative ways to get the reader feeling fear and suspense. It was explained why the ventriloquist dummy was used, but it felt a little cliche to me. I think this would be a good read for students who like mysteries but not scary stories.

This was so much fun! I love a good ghost story, and Lindsay Currie doesn’t disappoint. There’s an old (and possibly haunted) house, a painting that seems to change with the day, cold spells, freak lightning, and a ventriloquist dummy that had me yelling, “Hack it into pieces! Throw it in the fire!”

But for all its creepiness, the story is about more than a peculiar house and its ghostly resident. It’s about friendship, and that part of the story was hands-down my favorite. I moved to a new state when I was just a little younger than Tessa, and I too felt this strange mix of longing for a past life and uncertainty about the future. I loved watching her form these new friendships and, in doing so, gradually accept her new life. I plan to hand this one to my nephew...on a dark, stormy night.