Children’s Book
The Griffins of Castle Cary

Simon & Schuster, 2019
ISBN 9781534430884

A charming, adventure-filled novel full of non-stop action and escalating suspense.

“This book was the ultimate sibling kid adventure ever written.”

“Fast-paced and adorable and thrilling all at once.”

For fans who love the family charm of the Vanderbeekers and Penderwicks mixed with the spine-tingling excitement and magic of books by Jonathan Auxier and Neil Gaiman. Ages 8-12

Awarded best Children's Fiction book in 2020 (Society of Midland Authors)

Teacher's Guide Available - Click Here to Download
For signed, personalized copies, order from Horizon or Brilliant Books.

 

Siblings Meg, Will, and Ariel Griffin are off on an adventure! They can’t wait to spend a week visiting their eccentric aunt and her giant, tongue-drooling Newfoundland dog in England. But when they finally arrive, they’re faced with a few local secrets that stir up more than a little trouble.

Add in some very peculiar lights, strange new friends, a police chase and some stampeding sheep, and the Griffin kids are in over their heads—literally. Apparently this town has a ghost problem and the three children must race to solve the mystery before the ghosts take something that doesn’t belong to them.

Reviews

“A beautifully written ghost story filled with mystery and humor. This delightful novel has a fast-paced plot and distinctly drawn characters. It’s a perfect book for middle-grade readers.”
~ Society of Midland Authors Award, Winner in Children's Fiction  

"The characters are well-rounded and lovable. The novel is fast-paced and easy to follow, with suspenseful scenes that are not too scary and laugh-out-loud funny scenes perfect for young readers who love adventure. Recommended."
~ School Library Connection

"A wonderful tale for those who enjoy a dark mystery. Still, things never get too scary - Aunt Effie always enters at the right time, bringing the story back to its lighthearted center."
~ Booklist

"A suitable spooky story. Once the adventure gets started it keeps up the momentum all the way to the conclusion."
~ Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A rollicking mystery about the yearnings to be seen, and the love and empathy required to see. It kept me, like the Griffin children, guessing until the very end. I loved it.”
~ Jack Cheng, Golden Kite Award winner, See You in the Cosmos

“Delightfully spooky! A masterfully plotted ghost story packed with heart and humor. Lovable siblings, persistent ghosts, and one ginormous dog will thrill readers late into the night. Charming and easy to love. A perfect read for families!”
~ Jennifer Lynn Alvarez, author The Guardian Herd series

“Nothing can stop the intrepid young Griffins. Secrets, danger, and plenty of humor abound in Shumaker’s clever debut.”
~ Gloria Whelan, National Book Award winner, Homeless Bird

“Well-written, action-packed, and spooky!”  
~ Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup


Listen to an author interview with Heather on Interlochen Public Radio

What Kids Say

Keep going! Keep going! I was so excited. I wanted my mom to read more chapters before bed. There were so many mysteries.  ~ Elizabeth, age 8

If there was a sequel, I would read it in a flash! It was really gripping and just the right amount of scary. I read it in two days! It was hard to put down when I had to go to bed.     ~ Tess, age 11

It was awesome! It was part mystery, part ghost story. I never wanted to stop reading it. ~ Alexander, age 9

The hospital scene made me laugh out loud! ~ Amabel, age 11

I’ve never read anything like this in any other book. I love all the action and especially loved the parts with the ghosts.
~ Emerson, age 11

What Adult Readers Say

As a children’s librarian, I read a wide range of Middle Grade books. This one is a winner! The story starts out so sweet and bucolic and then takes a turn into increasing darkness. This spooky adventure has many twists and turns before rushing to a satisfying end.
~ Michele, children’s librarian

What a delightful read! The tone is wholesome and disarming, kind of like the Penderwicks. Full of sweet values: family, perseverance, and empathy, even towards a ghost. A grand romp of an adventure, with fantastic engrossing excitement at the climax with one crazy turn of events after the other.
~ Ana, parent

Serves up just the right mixture of spookiness, suspense and action to grip a young reader.  The story explores the timeless issues of loneliness and belonging, embracing at its core the universal human need for love, support and companionship. Nostalgically charming.
~ Kathy, elementary school librarian

The ultimate sibling kid adventure ever written. I felt like I had just watched an adventure Disney movie and wanted to know if there more adventures. Five stars.
~ Meghan, children’s librarian

Absolutely loved it. The writing is so strong. It’s spooky and charming. We all loved it here at the store. ~ Amy, bookseller

My family read this together and we all loved it! We laughed out loud together and my boys cuddled up close to me at the spooky parts. The characters were brave and relatable. The action-packed ending chapters were so good we couldn’t put the book down until we finished it!   ~ Kate, parent

Back to Book Index »

The Griffins of Castle Cary

Simon & Schuster, 2019

ISBN 9781534430884

 

A charming, adventure-filled novel full of non-stop action and escalating suspense.

“This book was the ultimate sibling kid adventure ever written.”

“Fast-paced and adorable and thrilling all at once.”

For fans who love the family charm of the Vanderbeekers and Penderwicks mixed with the spine-tingling excitement and magic of books by Jonathan Auxier and Neil Gaiman. Ages 8-12

Awarded best Children's Fiction book in 2020 (Society of Midland Authors)

Teacher's Guide Available - Click Here to Download

 

Buy the Book:

 

Author Newsletter

Learn about new books!

Listen to the Renegade Rules podcast

Write to the author

 

 

Heather
Shumaker
Get new blog posts by email
twitterfacebookyoutube-play