Title: The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls

Author: Claire Legrand

Publishing Information: August 28, 2012 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Mystery, Horror

Series Information: Standalone

Format: Hardcover, 343 pages

Source: Purchased for my personal library

Recommended For: Reders looking for a book that doesn’t shy away from the dark and rough patches of growing up. Fans of Neil Gaiman, Adam Gidwitz, and Tim Burton.

One of the things that stuck out to me while reading The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls was the way in which Claire Legrand doesn’t shy away from the so called “dark” elements. In fact, those were my favorite parts of the novel. Legrand writes a story about a very clever and strong girl. She writes a story about the importance of learning that it’s what inside that counts and ugliness can come from within. Most importantly, she writes a story about friendship, and the importance of never giving up. With that in mind, for this month’s On the Same Page post, I am going to focus on themes in The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls that are also found in some other excellent middle grade novels so you can add some awesome read-alikes to your radar! Continue reading →