Honorable Mention * 2019/2020 * Reader Views Literary Awards

Named one of * The Year's Best * by Resource Links

What distinguishes a friend from an enemy is a complicated affair for 12-year-old Phoebe as she tries to understand the hurtful behavior of Serena, a girl who is taunting her. By contrast, four-year-old Peter Philby, who is missing from the DUMBO area of Brooklyn, knows exactly what a bully is. It's on his mind all the time. What he doesn't know is that a girl he's never met will change the outcome of his ordeal.

Reviews

'A lot happens in this story - the mystery, Phoebe and her friends creating a history project, the man next door who puts signs in his window to communicate, and a girl who can't hear or speak who works at a restaurant where Phoebe and her grandma go a lot. How does all this go together? You just have to read it to find out! I think kids around the ages of 10 to 13 would like "8 Days in DUMBO" by Margaret J. McMaster. It's a fun story and full of action and adventure.' Reviewed by Maddie (age 12) for Reader Views Kids

'Phoebe, herself, is a delightful character: smart, funny, clever, forgiving, and just a genuinely good person. Her interactions with the other characters in the novel illustrate a kind and caring nature. She's the kind of character that readers will genuinely root for, despite the fact that most of the major conflicts happen to the characters around her.' Recommended. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, November 22, 2019

'Margaret McMaster has penned an easy-read, suitable for students in upper elementary and middle school. The author keeps readers engaged in the story, and certainly wanting to solve the mystery, find the missing child, and even learn what secret Serena has. There is lots of adventure and antics happening in 8 Days in DUMBO, portraying the complexity of life found in reality.' Resource Links, December 2019 Issue

Paperback Details

Publisher: ‎ Margaret J. McMaster

Publication date: ‎ August 21, 2019

Language: ‎ English

Print length: ‎ 233 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 199911440X

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1999114404

Item weight: ‎ 209 g

Reading age: ‎ 9 - 12 years

Dimensions: ‎ 12.7 x 1.35 x 19.05 cm

Book 1 of 2: ‎ A Phoebe Sproule Novel

eBook Kindle Version Available from Amazon

The Haunting of
Cedar Hill Plantation

Book 2 of 2: ‎ A Phoebe Sproule Novel

BRONZE MEDAL WINNER * 2020/2021 * Reader Views Literary Awards

It's supposed to be a summer getaway at her relatives' plantation in Nashville but Phoebe quickly discovers that her cousin Baxter is desperate to find a treasure hidden during the Civil War and his sister Rachel's relationship with her boyfriend is on the rocks. Underneath it all is a plantation that hasn't put its past to rest, and the aftermath of a deadly tornado is about to reveal the truth.

Reviews

"The Haunting of Cedar Hill Plantation is a mystery full of ghost stories and buried treasures. The story is fun to read and kept me interested to find out what would happen next. It's full of surprises and historical information about the Civil War that isn't boring. Like the first book, 'Eight Days in DUMBO', there is a lot of action and adventure in this book that I think would be liked by both boys and girls." Reviewed by Maddie (age 13) for Reader View Kids (11/20)

"The Haunting of Cedar Hill Plantation is an interesting story that gives some background on the American Civil War without being set in that time period. It has the potential to pique the interest of historical fiction and ghost story fans alike, and its fast pace and short chapters make for a novel that is neither heavy nor daunting." Recommended. CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Paperback Details

Publisher: ‎ Margaret J. McMaster

Publication date: ‎ April 12, 2020

Language: ‎ English

Print length: ‎ 232 pages

ISBN-10: ‎ 1999114418

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1999114411

Item weight: ‎ 245 g

Reading age: ‎ 9 - 12 years

Dimensions: ‎ 13.34 x 1.35 x 20.32 cm

Book 2 of 2: ‎ A Phoebe Sproule Novel

eBook Kindle Version Available from Amazon