The International House of Dereliction

In this not-so-scary ghost story from Jacqueline Davies, bestselling author of the Lemonade War series, Alice begins to repair the dilapidated mansion next door—only to discover the old house is home to ghosts, and they need mending, too!

Home is where the heart is. But can a house have a beating heart of its own?

Ten-year-old Alice is moving for the eleventh time.

She’s lived in so many houses, each more broken than the last, that home to Alice is nothing more than a place you fix and then a place you leave. After all, who needs a permanent home when you’re a whiz at fixing things?

But when Alice arrives at her new home, she can’t take her eyes off the house next door, the stately dark house that hulked in the dimming light. The once-grand mansion, now dilapidated and condemned, beckons Alice; it’s the perfect new repair job!

As Alice begins to restore the House to its former splendor, she senses strange presences. Is there a heartbeat coming from the House’s walls? Is someone looking at her? Soon she realizes she’s not alone. Three ghosts have been w

Jacqueline Davies is the bestselling author of the Lemonade War series, which has inspired millions of young readers across the world to raise money for charitable causes. She is also the award-winning author of the Sydney and Taylor series, illustrated by Deborah Hocking, and Bubbles . . . UP!, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez, which was selected as an ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice and a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year. 

"Only the stony of heart could fail to fall in love with clever, competent, resolute Alice or, for that matter, the supporting cast that includes her adorable parents and a host of unfailingly interesting ancestors. Well cast, well told, but mostly just terrific." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"This mesmerizing Monster House–flavored tale is packed with oodles of heart." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"An unconventional ghost story with an unusual heroine and a satisfying conclusion." -Booklist