The Shadow Collector's Apprentice

Gr 5–8—In 1963, there is something strange happening in the small rural town of Medley. Following the mysterious disappearance of his father, 12-year-old Cully Pennyacre takes a job as apprentice to Batty Bates, the owner of an antique store. He is a man with a very peculiar hobby: he collects shadows. Cully also finds that the back room of Batty's Attic holds more than just shadow-collecting equipment. Housed within is a secret so devastating to Cully that he risks everything his family has to learn the truth. With the help of Batty's granddaughter Isabel, a dog called Fitz, and his extremely eccentric trio of aunts (Opalescence, Incandescence, and Miggs), Cully embarks on a quest to find his father and restore order to Medley. The novel is well thought out and readers will find themselves sharing Cully's determination to find the truth at any cost. This is novel filled with rustic charm and enough plot twists and turns to keep readers engaged.—Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston, TX