Description

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New York Times bestseller!
“Lots of creepiness, memorable characters, a worthy message, Arrasmith’s atmospheric drawings and touches of humor amid the horror make this cautionary tale one readers will not soon forget.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
The Night Gardener is a Victorian ghost story with shades of Washington Irving and Henry James.
 
More than just a spooky tale, it’s also a moral fable about human greed and the power of storytelling. The story follows 14-year-old Molly and her younger brother, Kip, orphans fleeing the Irish famine who travel to work as servants at a creepy, crumbling English manor house. But the house and its family are not quite what they seem. Soon the children are confronted by a mysterious specter and an ancient curse that threatens their very lives. They will be forced to make decisions that could spell their doom.
 
The master and mistress of the house, and their two children begin to grow pale and gaunt; their eyes and hair become dark and black. Entering the forbidden room at the top of the stairs, Molly finds a knothole in the tree there that magically produces whatever one wishes for (money, jewels, treats). The price, however, is one that most would not be willing to pay, the high, high price is a piece of the petitioner’s soul. Footprints and dead leaves in the house reveal an evil nighttime visitor, the “Night Gardener” of the title.
 
With Auxier’s exquisite command of language, The Night Gardener is a mesmerizing read and a classic in the making.

About the Author

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Jonathan Auxier is the New York Times bestselling and critically-acclaimed author of Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, The Night Gardener, and Sweep. He lives with his family in Pittsburgh. You can find him online at thescop.com

Praise For…

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"Auxier achieves an ideal mix of adventure and horror, offering all of it in elegant, atmospheric language that forces the reader to slow down a bit and revel in both the high-quality plot and the storytelling itself."
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Lots of creepiness, memorable characters, a worthy message, Auxier’s atmospheric drawings and touches of humor amid the horror make this cautionary tale one readers will not soon forget."
— Kirkus Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Storytelling and the secret desires of the heart wind together in this atmospheric novel that doubles as a ghost tale."
— School Library Journal

"All proper scary stories require a spooky, menacing atmosphere, and Auxier (Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes) delivers the goods with his precise descriptions of the gothic setting and teasing hints of mystery and suspense."
— The Horn Book