Product Description

Discovering an old-fashioned dollhouse in a dusty attic, Amy is unaware that the dollhouse holds a deadly, forgotten secret about a past murder, and the dolls decide that Amy must learn the truth. Reprint. SLJ. AB.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #403081 in Books
• Published on: 1995-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780590434614
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Wright's taut, suspenseful novel proves a solid choice to kick off the Live Oak Mysteries audio series. The attic is always a great place to look for nuggets of one's family history, but when 12-year-old Amy explores her great-grandparents' attic, she uncovers clues to a chilling family secret. As Amy and her Aunt Claire sift through clothes, trinkets and other memorabilia, Amy comes across Aunt Claire's long-forgotten dollhouse, a finely crafted replica of the house they are in. Aunt Claire seems unusually distressed about the dollhouse and Amy is determined to find out why. The real fun begins when Amy learns that the dolls in the dollhouse move of their own willAand that they seem to be trying to tell her something. After a little sleuthing at the local library, Amy learns that her great-grandparents were murdered years ago and that Aunt Claire's fianc? (who died in a car accident that same night) was the prime suspect in the unsolved case. Before long, Amy unravels the mystery, helping Aunt Claire to resolve her feelings about the past. A subplot about Amy's relationships with her parents, younger sister and best friend adds depth and warmth to this crisply paced tale. Stewart handles the narration with aplomb, using her voice to give listeners a hint of each character's personality. Her portrayal of Aunt Claire, who delivers a few chillingly snappish retorts to Amy, is particularly strong. Ages 8-up. (Mar.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-This scary mystery by Betty Ren Wright (Holiday, 1983) is sure to keep the interest of students, mainly girls. Narrator Carol Jordan Stewart does an excellent job. Her diction, pacing, and characterization are well-done. Twelve-year-old Amy is having difficulties at home being responsible for her brain-damaged sister, Louann. While visiting her Aunt Clare at the old family home, she discovers an eerily-haunted dollhouse in the attic-an exact replica of the family home. Whenever she sees it, the dolls, representing her relatives, have moved. Her aunt won't listen to Amy's claims that the dolls are trying to tell her something. This leads Amy to research old news reports where she discovers a family secret-the murder of her grandparents. The two sisters unravel the mystery. Amy grows to accept her sister and to understand that Louann is more capable than she had first thought. This audiobook would be an excellent choice for schools and public libraries.
Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Betty Ren Wright's short stories have appeared in Redbook, Ladies' Home Journal, Young Miss, and many other magazines. The author of Getting Rid of Majorie and The Secret Window, she has also written 35 picture books, most of them published during the years that she was an editor for a children's book publisher. She now devotes herself full time to writing and free-lance editing.

Customer Reviews

The Dollhouse Murders
Wright, Betty Ren. (1983). The Dollhouse Murders. New York: Holiday House. I like this book because it is a simple mystery children ages 9-12 can read and enjoy. The book is a very interesting realistic fiction book. While visiting Aunt Clare in her Great grandparent's old house, Amy discovered a wonderful dollhouse in the attic. It is the replica of her Great Granparent's house. Everytime Amy visits the attic eerie things happen. Strange noises come from the dollhouse, lights are on in it and the dolls have been moved from where she had left them. Amy is very frightened, but she wonders if the dollhouse is trying to tell her something about the murders of her Great Grandparents 30 years ago. Amy wants to solve the mystery. On a stormy night Amy and her sister make one more visit to the attic. They watch as the Grandmother doll gives them a clue about the murders. They tell Aunt Clare what the doll revealed to them. Together they solved the murder mystery of that fateful night 30 years ago.

It's the best
I love this book.It's about a girl that decides to stay with her aunt Claire in a big country house.She finds a beautiful dollhouse in the attic.Amy finds out that her aunt's grandparents were murdered in the house.No one knows who killed them.But then the dolls in the dollhouse are giving Amy clues about who the killer is.It's the best book I've ever read.

the best book ever!
Amy feels very alone because she has to always watch her brain damaged sister luann. so amy runs away to live with her aunt clare in amy's great grandparents old house. while she is there aunt clare shows a dollhouse to amy that is an exact replica of the house they are living in now. The only thing amy does not know about the house is her great grandparents were murdered in it, but no one knew who killed them. and amy thinks that the dolls in the dollhouse are trying to tell her what happened the night of the murder. i read this book in 4th grade. and i read it twice in 6th grade. this is by far the best book i have ever read!