
Reach for this book when your child is starting to navigate the complexities of long-term friendship and needs to see that even adults or mentors can have vulnerable pasts. While framed as a supernatural mystery, it is a deeply comforting story for kids who feel like outsiders or who worry about the safety of their loved ones. The story follows Lewis Barnavelt and his friend Rose Rita as they travel back in time to 1889 to save their neighbor, Mrs. Zimmermann, from a magical threat rooted in her own history. It deals with themes of loyalty, the weight of the past, and the courage required to protect those we love. This is a perfect middle-grade choice for those who enjoy a cozy yet atmospheric chill without the graphic nature of modern horror. It emphasizes that bravery is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act despite it.





















Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewThe book deals with mortality and the threat of a loved one's death through a supernatural lens. The approach is metaphorical, using ghosts and magic to represent the way past mistakes or traumas can haunt the present. It is largely secular but set within a traditional small-town American framework. The resolution is hopeful and reinforces the strength of found family.
A 10-year-old who loves classic ghost stories but is also sensitive and values the 'found family' dynamic. This is for the child who enjoys the aesthetic of old houses and secret histories.
Read cold. The spooky elements are atmospheric (ghosts in mirrors, dark woods) rather than visceral. A child may express fear of a grandparent or elderly mentor getting sick or 'fading away' after seeing them struggle with a problem they can't solve.
Younger readers will focus on the 'cool' factor of time travel and the spooky imagery. Older readers will pick up on the bittersweet nature of Mrs. Zimmermann’s nostalgia and the burden of history.
Unlike many modern middle-grade horrors, this book relies on a distinct, cozy, mid-century gothic atmosphere that feels both safe and genuinely eerie.
In this installment of the Lewis Barnavelt series, Lewis and his friend Rose Rita Pottinger discover that their neighbor and mentor, the powerful witch Florence Zimmermann, is being haunted by a malevolent force from her past. The duo uses a magical mirror to travel back to 1889 to intervene in a grudge involving a vengeful spirit and a family secret. They must navigate a Victorian-era setting to break a curse that threatens Mrs. Zimmermann's life in the present day.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.