Splendors and Glooms

Splendors and Glooms is a Newbery Honor chapter book set in atmospheric 19th-century London. It follows Lizzie Rose and Parsefall, two orphaned assistants to the enigmatic puppeteer Grisini. After a birthday party, the wealthy Clara Wintermute disappears, and suspicion falls on Grisini and his young charges. Fleeing London, the orphans find themselves entangled in a deeper, more sinister plot involving Grisini's ancient rival, a powerful witch with a deadly secret. This richly written novel blends historical fiction with gothic fantasy, exploring themes of good versus evil, friendship, and courage in the face of dark magic and peril. It's best suited for readers aged 8-11 who enjoy suspenseful mysteries with a touch of the supernatural.

When Clara vanishes after the puppeteer Grisini and two orphaned assistants were at her twelfth birthday party, suspicion of kidnapping chases the trio away from London and soon the two orphans are caught in a trap set by Grisini's ancient rival, a witch with a deadly inheritance to shed before it is too late.