Secrets of the Painted Door
July 15th, 2016
In Secrets of the Painted Door (Oolichan $14.95) Anna is sent to live with her eccentric Grandfather and artist at his studio for the summer holidays. Her fear of a boring and lonesome summer is put to an end with a chance meeting on the ferry, secret gathering in the garden, and a mysterious painted door. This door not only opens to ancient adventures, magical and dangerous, but also opens to opportunities for friendship and self-discovery.
Dividin
g her time between living in the Canadian Rockies and sailing the Caribbean Sea, Pepper Couëlle-Sterling was inspired by her artist father to achieve a graduate degree in Art History from the University of Toronto. Secrets of the Painted Door (Oolichan $14.95) is her debut novel. 978-0-88982-319-8
I was pleasantly surprised. This book is quite original and the kids certainly enjoyed it. It’s a read aloud and a great idea for a stocking stuffer.
My Grade 6 class really enjoyed this book. It was a journey of fact and fiction rich with humour and unique character development. What a descriptive imagination!
What kid hasn’t dreamed of time travel, magic and escaping into other worlds? Pepper Couelle-Sterling’s, Secrets of the Painted Door, took me back to my childhood in a wild ride through some fascinating history with a believable blend of fact and fiction stirred up with fantasy and magic.
The story begins with Anna embarking on what she supposes will be a boring summer at her Grandfather’s house. Right from the beginning, Couelle-Sterling turns up the adventure with the mysterious, creepy character on the ferry and Grandfather’s amazing abilities to do impossible things. Secrets of the Painted Door is well written, highly visual storytelling at its best; perfect summer reading for a kid with time on their hands and an active imagination.
Great book for middle school kids.