Olivia Kidney and The Exit Academy
In a sequel to Ellen Potter's delightfulOlivia Kidney, 12-year-old Olivia and her handyman father George report for duty ("a live-in situation") at 917 West 84th Street in New York City, a curious brownstone with a flooded first floor -- a lagoon complete with boats, floating furniture, and snapping turtles. The handsome young owner, Ansel Plover, seems quite charming, but a neighbor warns Olivia that the man is "mad, bad, and dangerous." Her worst fears are confirmed when a redheaded man she sees yelling at Ansel one night dies a mysterious death in Central Park. Worse still, her father is almost poisoned by a pie. Is their new landlord a killer? The perpetual new kid on the block, Olivia doesn't have many friends to console her, but she does have a special way of communicating with her dead brother Christopher. Can he somehow, even from the spirit world, help her unravel the mystery on 84th Street? Peter H. Reynold's cartoonish black-and-white illustrations contribute a modern sensibility to this engaging, deliciously imaginative novel where, as Olivia learns, it's best not to jump to conclusions. (Ages 9 to 12)--Karin Snelson