Molly’s brother, Kip, has a club foot, and since he was little has used a crunch made by his father. It helps you hide.”Īnother theme woven through the story is finding courage. “A story helps folks face the world, even when it frightens ’em. Molly’s final realization is bound to get kids thinking: In the end, Molly learns that stories have their place and that truth is an essential part of trust. She may be a great story-teller, but it seems hard for her to tell the truth. Molly just can’t seem to help telling a whopper on every occasion. It cuts to the heart with big questions like “ Where is the line between the truth, a story and a lie?” and “ What do our deepest desires say about who we are?” and “Where does courage come from?”Ī major theme from the first pages of the book is truth, lies, and stories. This is a well-conceived and wonderfully crafted story. My Take: I was intrigued when the book opened with quotes from Paradise Lost and Aesop.

But what does the Night Gardener do while the household is caught in nightmares and how is he connected to the tree? Will Molly and Kip be able to escape? The gifts both satisfy and kindle the deepest desire in the recipient, making them dependent on the tree. The force at work on them gradually effects Molly once she finds a doorway to a magic room where the tree bestows gifts. The only work Molly can find is at a creepy manor partially overtaken by a large, evil-looking tree and inhabited by a pale and sickly-looking family. Short Summary: The Night Gardener is the story of Molly and Kip, an Irish brother and sister who find themselves alone and friendless in an 1800’s England. This book had me hooked till the end and left me thoughtful.

But I don’t think the point of this story is to scare.

It’s right in the title: The Night Gardener: A Scary Story. The book I’m telling you about today is a self-admitted scary story. How do you feel about scary stories for kids? When I was a kid, Goosebumps was a popular series, but, honestly, Nancy Drew was too suspenseful for me! On the other hand, my daughter loves “scary” books (at the same age that I couldn’t handle them).

The night gardener auxier