Staff Picks Blog
Here I go again, recommending another children’s book with a silhouette cover! The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar has not only a silhouette cover, but an Australian setting and quirky family to assist its leap to the top of my to-be-read pile. It did not disappoint.
Laura loves her life – at home. With her loving, but eccentric parents, Laura lives in a fantastic old (haunted?) house where she loses herself in her various projects, particularly writing and drawing. School is another story. At school, her differences haunt her. She does her best to fit in and keep her home life hidden, but is constantly ill at ease and dreading a misstep that will forever label her as “different” in the worst sense of the word.
When decidedly different Leon moves to town, rumours about his father swirl and Laura struggles to keep her distance. Bit by bit they are drawn to each other as they work together to solve the mystery of why the Italian Mr. Visconti moved to and built such an elaborate house in their small Australian town. As Laura becomes more comfortable with Leon, she also becomes more comfortable with herself. The accompanying cast of family, friends and townspeople provides lots of colour and fills out the story nicely. Elsbeth Edgar’s first novel is a sweet story ideal for fans of The Penderwicks or the Casson family books.
Thanks for participating in Book Talk Tuesday! I have to confess… I ran to get this book when my hold was ready, thinking “Possible Newbery contender?” But, I returned it 2 days later, unfinished. I got to the point when Leon moves in and gets beaten up when the thugs try to take his father’s book- but it didn’t hold my attention. I need to give it another try!
Thanks for hosting! Leon doesn’t have much personality at that point in the book. I’d suggest trying again. But since she’s Australian, it won’t qualify for a Newbery so need to worry about skipping it on that front.