Shadow School #1: Archimancy

by J. A. White

Overview

From the acclaimed author of Nightbooks and The Thickety comes a spooky series, perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman, Adam Gidwitz, and Stranger Things!

Cordelia Liu knew Shadow School was going to be different. Still, she didn’t expect the school grounds to be filled with ghosts.

Cordelia soon realizes she’s not the only one who can see the ghosts; her new friend Benji can too. Together with super-smart Agnes, the trio are determined to find out why the ghosts are there, and whether there’s a way to set them free.

But the school was created with more sinister intentions, and someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to ensure that the ghosts remain trapped forever.

Check out the book that School Library Journal called a “delightful blend of friendship, suspense, and spectral sightings [that] belongs on most shelves!”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062838285
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	08/27/2019
Series:	Shadow School , #1
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	343,351
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

J. A. White is the author of the Thickety series and Nightbooks. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, three sons, and the ghost of their hamster, Ophelia. When he’s not making up stories, he teaches a bunch of kids how to make up stories. He wishes dragons were real because it would be a much cooler way to get to work. You can visit him online at www.jawhitebooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

Just the right balance of humor, mystery, and scariness for a preteen audience. A fun addition to the growing genre of scary books for middle graders; readers will be eager to see more of this smart and spunky trio in further spooky adventures.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The story balances the spookier elements with the humorous and/or difficult going-ons of middle school. Heart and humor elevate the formulaic tropes, making this as easy quick pick for a just creepy enough read.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“White opens the Shadow School trilogy with a well-paced thriller of a new-kid-at-school narrative. Tension builds to a crescendo when an overnight rescue attempt goes awry, and the ending promises more adventures to come for Cordelia and her friends.” — ALA Booklist

“The preteens’ friendship is realistic and appealing. The suspense is engaging and consistent throughout, and there’s a perfect mix of scares and mystery that will entice even the most fainthearted of readers. VERDICT This delightful blend of friendship, suspense, and spectral sightings belongs on most shelves.” — School Library Journal

Praise for Nightbooks: “Fans of gloomy fare such as Lemony Snicket, Adam Gidwitz, or Neil Gaiman will find an equally twisting and terrifying tale here.”   — School Library Journal (starred review)

“A thrilling tale of magic that is just scary enough.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for the Thickety series: “Darkly bewitching. Readers will devour each twist and turn of the plot, right up to the startling conclusion.” — School Library Journal

“The twisted plot is perfectly matched by the twisted atmosphere. . . . Spine-tingling.” — Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

The twisted plot is perfectly matched by the twisted atmosphere. . . . Spine-tingling.

Booklist (starred review)

White opens the Shadow School trilogy with a well-paced thriller of a new-kid-at-school narrative. Tension builds to a crescendo when an overnight rescue attempt goes awry, and the ending promises more adventures to come for Cordelia and her friends.

ALA Booklist

The story balances the spookier elements with the humorous and/or difficult going-ons of middle school. Heart and humor elevate the formulaic tropes, making this as easy quick pick for a just creepy enough read.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

The story balances the spookier elements with the humorous and/or difficult going-ons of middle school. Heart and humor elevate the formulaic tropes, making this as easy quick pic for a just creepy enough read.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

05/01/2019

Gr 5–8—Middle schooler Cordelia Liu is upset about moving away from her friends in California because her dad has lost his job. Her dad's new job is in New Hampshire, and her parents try hard to help Cordelia settle into their new home. But Cordelia is not having it—she hates the small town, and she misses her two best friends. Left with no choice, Cordelia begrudgingly starts Shadow Middle School, which was once owned by reclusive architect Elijah Z. Shadow, who died mysteriously in a house fire in 1929. Almost immediately, the ghost sightings begin for Cordelia. She sees different people throughout the school dressed in various old-fashioned clothing, which at first she chalks up to a quirky sense of style. When she tries to convince her parents that she's seeing ghosts at the school, they laugh it off, believing it's another tactic to get them to move back to California. She is relieved to make friends with classmate Benji, who also reveals he can see the spectral beings. Though Agnes can't see the ghosts, she joins their mission to set the specters free. If these souls are given their "brightkey," or what they are missing from their earthly days, they will finally find peace. It is only after they are visited by a tantrum-throwing poltergeist in the cafeteria that they realize this is dangerous work. The preteens' friendship is realistic and appealing. Readers will applaud Cordelia's bravery and the trio's ingenuity. The suspense is engaging and consistent throughout, and there's a perfect mix of scares and mystery that willl entice even the most fainthearted of readers. VERDICT This delightful blend of friendship, suspense, and spectral sightings belongs on most shelves.—Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC

School Library Journal

2019-05-08
It's hard enough for sixth grader Cordelia Liu to be the new girl at Elijah Z. Shadow Middle School, and that's before she even realizes she can see the ghosts there!

Luckily, another boy has the same ability, and together with another scientifically minded classmate, the three new friends set out to help the ghosts find peace. Little do they know that they are up against forces (both solid and spectral) with less-than-good intentions, dating back to Mr. Elijah Shadow himself, the African American architect of the creepy old New Hampshire mansion that houses the Shadow School. As they explore the mansion and the ghosts' needs, the three encounter more and more questions as well as opposition: Why are there so many ghosts in one building? And who is trying to stop the kids from helping them? White hits just the right balance of humor, mystery, and scariness for a preteen audience, and what seems at first to be a straightforward ghost story takes several exciting turns with new revelations. The ultimate conflict may be a bit far-fetched, but a healthy suspension of disbelief and emotional connection with one of the ghosts make for a satisfying resolution nonetheless. Cordelia is biracial (Chinese/white); of her two friends, Benji is implied Latinx, and Agnes presents white.

A fun addition to the growing genre of scary books for middle graders; readers will be eager to see more of this smart and spunky trio in further spooky adventures. (Paranormal adventure. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

The story balances the spookier elements with the humorous and/or difficult going-ons of middle school. Heart and humor elevate the formulaic tropes, making this as easy quick pick for a just creepy enough read.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The twisted plot is perfectly matched by the twisted atmosphere. . . . Spine-tingling.

Booklist (starred review)