Recommended grades 4-7. L.L. Sampson borrows much from Lemony Snicket in the opening novel to her series,
The Enchanted Attic. Facing the Hunchback of Notre Dame (Zonderkidz, 2012) has a tangential, well-read narrator, near-orphans with adult hobbies and interests, and enough literary allusions to keep kids jumping to Wikipedia. The series follows twins Ophelia and Linus who discover a magical laboratory kept by a former tenant in their aunt and uncle's attic. This laboratory has the power to bring fictional characters into the present day reality, or to transport a reader into their favorite story. The nefarious mad scientist Cato uses the lab to rob fictional words of their precious treasures. The story is funny, the dialogue (too?) witty, and the references to classical novels thorough enough for young readers to get a sense of the allusions without tromping through French literature. Fans of Lemony Snicket will enjoy the series, while waiting for the original to continue his craft; Samson does not
add to Snicket's style.
Recommended, ***
