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Katherine L. Holmes began writing novels for children after she was a winner of The Loft’s Children’s Literature Prize. Her historical novel, The Swan Bonnet, has a gold medal at Authonomy.com where it reached the HarperCollins Editor’s Desk. In 2011, she won the Prize Americana for fiction; her short story collection will be published by Hollywood Books International. Katherine lives in Duluth, Minnesota.
Reviewed by Lynette Fowlston for Readers' Favorite
The House in Windward Leaves by Katherine L. Holmes is a whimsical book written for children that even adults will enjoy reading. The story revolves around Sadie, seven of her friends and the upcoming Halloween night. Their main concern, besides their costumes, is the house down the street and the strange man who lives there with his cat. One cannot see inside the windows because they are covered with leaves, but they know he is up to something as he keeps buying paint by the gallons. Halloween night arrives, and as they are all dressed up, one finds quite an assortment from fortune tellers to cheerleaders and even a zebra. Approaching the strange house, the children are about to get the surprise of their life. Pushing on the door, they enter into the most lavish Halloween party they have ever seen. Here everybody is now the person or thing they had dressed up to be, from George Washington, to Paul Revere, right down to the fortune teller, cheerleader and, yes, the zebra.
This is an ideal book for children from 4th to 6th grade. I feel the book could also be read to younger children if one uses emphasis as they read to bring the story to life. I loved each of the characters in this book. They all have their little quirks and just seem to stand out separate from each other. This is an Alice in Wonderland type book that I feel girls will really get into and, yes, maybe some boys. One cannot help but laugh at the adventures and antics of Sadie and her friends along with the great cast of characters at the party. The book is well written with a great plot to it for being a children’s book. It's ideal for any child’s home library.
