3 out of 4 stars
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The Mystery of the Hidden Cabin by M. E. Hembroff is a children’s book set in Canada in the 1950s. The book contains 178 pages and is the sequel to Bess’s Magical Garden.
Bess and her mother had recently moved to Pineview where they shared their home with Gramma. The death of her father and a bout with polio were two events that shaped Bess’s past. Her cousin, Megan, lives nearby, and they enjoy spending time together. Both girls want to resolve the mystery of the cabin.
Megan’s father discovered the cabin while remodeling their home. He gave Bess the suitcases and the trunk he found in the room behind the stairs. Using the clues from these materials, Bess started her investigation of the family who had lived in this cabin. She had uncovered two main clues: a paper with the name Abigail Morgan written on it and some embroidered napkins with the initials J.D. Suddenly, nightmares began to terrify her, and she saw visions of the people who had lived in the cabin. Follow Bess as she endeavors to untangle the enigma of the mysterious cabin.
The book presents a fluid writing style with comfortable dialogues and vivid descriptions. Young readers will relate to the school activities included in the story, such as homework, exams, games at recess, and school parties. Bess’s diary entries are a positive example for children this age. Encouraging the writing of feelings and thoughtful reflection on the day’s activities engages children in an exercise that strengthens emotional and intellectual development.
Bess also presents an exemplary model of how to solve a mystery. She examined the evidence looking for clues, asked for help from others, and used the information she had gathered to expand her search. This type of modeling can help children develop mental habits that will be useful in science, math, and all areas that require reasoning and logic.
I would have enjoyed more simple sketches accompanying the story. The targeted audience for this book is still at an age where visuals increase interest in the story. Another improvement would be to present Bess’s diary entries in a more pronounced manner. I found it difficult to determine where her writing had ended, and the story’s narration had resumed. Putting these entries in italics or indenting and justifying the entire entry would help the reader to identify these sections with greater ease.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The writing style, plot, and activities described are enjoyable and age appropriate. There were more than ten grammar errors, forcing me to take off a point for misspelled words and missing apostrophes. This story would appeal to children aged nine to twelve as they could relate to the main character. Some readers might dislike the inclusion of the paranormal sections that relate Bess’s visions which provoke her nightmares.
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The Mystery of the Hidden Cabin
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