The Enchanted Attic: Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame

A hidden attic. A classic story. A very unexpected twist. Twin twelve-year-old bookworms Ophelia and Linus Easterday discover a hidden attic that once belonged to a mad scientist. While relaxing in the attic and enjoying her latest book, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ophelia dozes off, and within moments finds herself facing a fully alive and completely bewildered Quasimodo. Ophelia and Linus team up with a clever neighbor, a hippy priest, and a college custodian, learning Quasimodo's story while searching for some way to get him back home---if he can survive long enough in the modern world.  From Amazon.com





First of all, let me just say, I'm not a huge fan of middle grade.  However, I've been reading more of them because my oldest son is 7 years old and is an avid reader.  So, I want to read books that he might be interested in as he gets older.  And boy was I -pleased with this series!


Not only is the book witty, imaginative, and adventurous, it also incorporates friendship, treating everyone with respect and a background in older literature.  I actually enjoyed reading it, a 30 year old woman!  I really enjoyed how Ophelia, Walter & Linus treated Quasimodo with respect and human decency, something he did not get in his time.  I also enjoyed reading about how they worked as a team to get Quasi back to his own time without harming him.  I also loved how the book raises poignant questions such as; Can Quasi change his fate back in his time, by what he's learned in our time?  Not only is this a great lesson in teaching young children that we can make our own decisions, but whether or not we make the right ones, and how to go about doing that.


The other point I really enjoyed was the narrator.  A grown up janitor who is both witty, informative & makes for a very fun read!  I highly recommend this book for any middle school classroom and/or library and for middle grade readers.  Also, this is a series!  I can't wait to read the next one and I absolutely cannot wait to share these books with my children (they are a bit too young now, but soon won't be!)