"Lots of creepiness, memorable characters, a worthy message, Arrasmith's atmospheric drawings and touches of humor amid the horror make this cautionary tale one readers will not soon forget." --Kirkus Reviews The Night Gardener is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James. More than just a spooky tale, it's also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling. The story follows 14-year-old Molly and her younger brother, Kip, orphans fleeing the Irish famine who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious specter and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. They will be forced to make decisions that could spell their doom. The master and mistress of the house, and their two children begin to grow pale and gaunt; their eyes and hair become dark and black. Entering the forbidden room at the top of the stairs, Molly finds a knothole in the tree there that magically produces whatever one wishes for (money, jewels, treats). The price, however, is one that most would not be willing to pay, the high, high price is a piece of the petitioner's soul. Footprints and dead leaves in the house reveal an evil nighttime visitor, the "Night Gardener" of the title. With Auxier's exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.
"Lots of creepiness, memorable characters, a worthy message, Arrasmith's atmospheric drawings and touches of humor amid the horror make this cautionary tale one readers will not soon forget." --Kirkus Reviews The Night Gardener is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James. More than just a spooky tale, it's also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling. The story follows 14-year-old Molly and her younger brother, Kip, orphans fleeing the Irish famine who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious specter and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. They will be forced to make decisions that could spell their doom. The master and mistress of the house, and their two children begin to grow pale and gaunt; their eyes and hair become dark and black. Entering the forbidden room at the top of the stairs, Molly finds a knothole in the tree there that magically produces whatever one wishes for (money, jewels, treats). The price, however, is one that most would not be willing to pay, the high, high price is a piece of the petitioner's soul. Footprints and dead leaves in the house reveal an evil nighttime visitor, the "Night Gardener" of the title. With Auxier's exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.
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