Shadow Play and Art Attack

Poblocki, Dan. Shadow Play

September 1, 2026 by Scholastic Press

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Shelby and Jane Hoffman are spending the winter break with their grandparents Betsy and Frank. Their parents are taking a little vacation because the father has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Unfortunately, Betsy and Frank have just moved from New York City to Violet Springs, where they are setting up the Museum of Future Disasters to showcase their sculptures. Violet Springs in an interesting place, with a movie theater, the Orpheum, that used to welcome Vaudeville shows, and Limelight Manor, which is now a performing arts summer camp, but used to have big name performers in the 1950s in its Clover Theater. The caretaker, Mr. Nichols, has recently retired, and in his place is Denis, whose nephews Liam, Felix, and Octave Beaumont are staying with him. Shelby attended the camp in the summer, so when Octave offers to show the girls the house, she's excited, although Jane would rather be at home reading mysteries. Shelby's boyfriend has given her a necklace that turns out to be the one in a portrait of Madame Natalia, a Russian immigrant who had an internship at the theater doing psychic work from 1929-1959. When the kids start to hear and see very odd happenings, they go to the town library to investigate. This leads to poking around in an abandoned house, sneaking into the theater, and even having a scary encounter in a local cave. There are lots of questions as the supernatural experiences pile up, but Betsy tells the girls they can't bother the one person who might know a lot about what went on. There was a fire in 1989 that killed several campers, and even Jane can get behind investigating this. As the group questions local residents and does a lot of poking and prodding, they anger the supernatural, but the bigger threat might be real life residents. Can they solve the mystery before their parents return? 
Strengths: Apparently, New York state is filled with a lot of abandoned summer camps and hotels, which means I am probably never going to get to a Catskills resort for the summer, but has a TON of potential for creepy books. The Clover property has so much interesting history, and the dates are perfect for their to be some original people still around... and friends with Betsy and Frank. I really enjoyed that Shelby and Jane were comfortable enough with their quirky grandparents to be willing to talk to them about all of the hauntings; this is so much better than killing everyone off. Faced with violent ghosts, I'm pretty sure most young people are going to want to consult a trusted adult! The Beaumont boys work well with the girls, and I was able to keep all of the characters straight, which means they were all well developed. There are some twists and turns, but I loved how the kids are able to save the day through not only bravery, but RESEARCH! 
Weaknesses: This wasn't nearly as scary as Poblocki's other work. The inclusion of the tension between Shelby and Jane over their reaction to their father's illness slowed the story down. 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who Lawrence's The Many Hauntings of the Manning Family, Parris' Stage Fright, or Keys' Twelfth. Theater mysteries seem to be trending; Kate Messner's Keep the Ghost Light On comes out in February 2027, and Farazin's third The Last Resort coming out in September 2026 is entitled Ghost Light .

Ponti, James. Art Attack (The Sherlock Society #3)

September 8, 2026 by Aladdin

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Alex and Zoe are back after their adventures in The Sherlock Society and Hurricane Heist. With the approval of their parents and the help of their ulta-cool Grandpa Pete, they have put together a web site for their investigative concern and get a job offer; Turner-McGee construction is building a luxury condo and wants to hire the artist Funky Munky to paint a mural on the side of the ten story building. They are willing to pay the artist $200, 000, which means that the Sherlock Society would get a finders fee of $20,000... if they can locate the reclusive and secretive artist. Like Bansky, Funky Munky does guerilla painting with social messages, and no one knows who this is. Since the Turner-McGee group is making their project eco friendly and also putting in low income housing, they are hoping that Funky Munky will agree. It doesn't hurt that Grandpa Pete is spending a lot of time with Marisol, who was the art editor at the Miami Herald, where he used to work. As Art Week approaches in the city, the kids have just a month to find the artist. This search takes them to meet lots of different artists, as well as Peyton Reed, a pod caster and muralist. They look at different paints, see lots of graffiti, and learn terms and techniques from the artists themselves. They even manage to figure out who Funky Munky is... but does Turner-McGee really want to hire the artist?

This is another fun romp with Alex, Zoe, Lina, and Yadi. I loved how the grandfather continues to be involved, and how the parents occasionally step in and punish Alex for breaking their rules! There are a lot of artists, and the grandfather and Marisol's connections help... and who doesn't want to be driven around in a vintage car. Some of the funniest moments were Alex's attempts to dress for spirit week at school, but there are plenty of adventures as well. This series has been popular with my students, so I will definitely be ordering a copy. If your Carl Hiaasen books are worn out, this is a great replacement for them. 

Keep forgetting to post my statistics for August. Feel lackluster at best about my reading; did love VanDraanen's upcoming GHOSTED.