When Colin, Tara, Lucas, and Grace have school bus trouble and end up staying with their teacher in an abandoned old house, they never dream of what will unfold that night.

Inside the house they find a beautiful, handmade wooden desk – with a secret compartment. Inside this hidden drawer is a book, a locket and dozens of water colour pictures. The book is full of beautiful, strange pictures of animals dressed as humans and a story of a man who was called Walter.

With nothing else to do, the group begin to read it out aloud, but soon only Colin and Tara are still interested in the story. It reads like a fairy tale at first, but the further into the story they get, the stranger it becomes – until its ominous air surrounds them.

They become torn between two forces – put the book down or keep reading to the end? An orphan, a witch, a shape shifter, and a terrible crime awaits them during their long night ahead.

Written in separate fonts – one for the present, and one for the discovered historical story being read by the students; it is clear where you are in this tale. Colin is new to the school and doesn’t know the others well, but throughout the evening, they show a little of their true selves. They are soon bound together by the clever conclusion. Great read!

Author – Emily Rodda

Age – 9+

Teacher’s Notes here

(Story, Books, Art, Historical, Mystery, Crime, Fairy tale, Love story, Orphan, Witch, Secret, Murder)