This is a very intriguing story. Young, orphaned Madison lives with her grandfather. When he passes away, she goes to live in an orphanage run by a strange woman called Madame Eve. One day, she and another girl, Wendy, catch a glimpse of a little hobgoblin. They try to tell Madame Eve, but she doesn’t believe them. Soon after that, Wendy disappears. Madison looks for her and becomes convinced Madam Ever has something to do with her disappearance. One night Madison and her friends see the hobgoblin again and follow him to Madame Eve’s room. Madam Eve is sleeping and he beckons them to jump into a crimson cabinet, which transports them to another realm. Once they are there, they see a lot of children riding on a bus and they follow them into a strange castle, which turns out to be a school for young witches and wizards. Read the book to find out who they meet there and what he tells them. Can Maddy start to make sense of all the strange happenings? Who is the hobgoblin and why was he looking for her? Will they get back to their world? I think children from about age 9 or 10 upwards will enjoy this magical story. There is action and adventure, scary moments, and lots of unexpected characters and events. There are also themes of friendship, sticking together, and second chances. The author has a wonderful, descriptive style of writing.
Susan Gibbs, A LoveReading4Kids Ambassador
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