Bestselling author and poet
Bestselling author and poet
Available now from Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
Order now at IndieBound or Amazon, or wherever books are sold!
Even the smallest wish can be dangerous.
Look closely.
Do you see that marble in the grass? The tiny astronaut with one arm raised? The old-fashioned key in the gutter?
Van sees them. Van notices all sorts of things. But usually no one notices Van. He’s small, and always the new kid, easy to overlook. But one day he watches a mysterious girl and a silver squirrel dive into a fountain to steal a coin.
And—even more strange—they notice Van.
Suddenly, the world changes for Van. It becomes a place where wishes are real. A place where wishes can be collected, just like his little treasures. A place where wishes can come true.
But that’s not always a good thing.
Not all wishes are good, you see, and even good wishes can have unintended consequences.
And Van is about to find out just how big those consequences can be.
Don't miss the sequel A Storm of Wishes.
- Schneider Family Honor Book
- Minnesota Book Awards finalist
- Nominated for the 2020-2021 Land of Enchantment Book Award (NM)
- Selected for the 2020-2021 Great Texas Mosquito List
"A fast-paced and engrossing tale... Readers may not wish to leave this magical world."
- Kirkus
"A brilliant fantasy adventure exploring the consequences of getting what you wish for."
- Booklist
"West has created a captivating mythology around wishes...as well as thoughtful explorations of power and the unexpected, sometimes negative, consequences of good intentions. West’s magical adventure offers humor and warmhearted adventure."
- Publishers Weekly
"The Collectors casts a spell..."
- Star Tribune
"Great characters, interesting world-building, tons of suspense, and leaves readers wanting more. A great addition to any collection. "
- School Library Journal, Teen Librarian Toolbox
"From the very first page — scratch that: from the very first sentence — the story gets its hooks in you, and tugs you along until the very end."
- MG Book Village
"In “The Collectors,” West combines humor, mystery and magic in an intricate plot... Anyone who reads Van’s first adventure will eagerly await the second part of his story."
The house is as much a character as are Olive, Morton, and her family, and a wicked sense of humor tempers the book's creepiness. A suspenseful plot and insight into childhood loneliness - handily amplified by Bernatene's moody and dramtically lit b&w illustrations - will have readers anxiously awaiting the next book.
- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Middle-grade writing as it should be."
"Beautifully written, deliciously scary..."
West creates a delightful concoction of quirky humor blended with a rumbling ominous undertone...
- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred Review
Ms. West's deliberate choice of words and lyrical phrasing reveal her background as a poet. Her understated storytelling style, fast pacing and realistic heroine Olive are sure to please reluctant and experienced readers alike.
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 5, 2010
THE SHADOWS is creative, exciting, hilarious, spooky, mysterious, adventurous, and heaps of fun, all wrapped between two covers.
The fast moving plot aided by talking cats and excellent black and white drawings will grab the attention of even the most reluctant middle school reader. Laced with just the right amount of spookies and mystery, watching Olive put all the pieces together and overcome her fears is a delight.
A fantastic story full of magic and mysteries that starts when a young girl climbs into an old painting.
"I found The Shadows mesmerizing, partly due to the story itself; partly due to Jacqueline West’s remarkable writing."
Jacqueline West builds an eerie and mysterious world. A steady stream of details ensures that readers will continue turning the pages as they try to solve the mystery of Olive's house along with her. - Junior Library Guild, Summer Selection [West] has a knack for description and excellent prose. There’s a sense of the weird and creepy throughout the book, like in roald dahl’s best stories... I couldn’t wait to see what it said next. This is an absolutely lovely read for the connoisseur of fantasy for the young... West's writing carries things along just swimmingly, with enough description to make things come alive in vivid detail without hindering the build-up of tension. I enjoyed it tremendously, and recommend it highly, and eagerly anticipate the next book. West's writing is something special...She has woven the tension of a good mystery with magical touches that make this book sparkle. This is a book to be raced through and then read again... - Kids Lit Golly, this is a good read even if you’re seven times as old as you’re supposed to be. [Olive is] an intrepid adventurer, the more charming for her determination to overcome her fears. West brings this launch title to a roundly satisfying close but leaves room for plenty more excursions to Elsewhere. - Jennifer M. Brown, Shelf Awareness With illustrations from Poly Bernatene enhancing the strong haunted house mystery, Jacqueline West provides an exhilarating middle school age tale.
© Jacqueline West
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