We talk about pets having a forever home, but sometimes people need them, too. And it is not because they are homeless, or need adoption, but because they and their family will travel a lot, such as being in the service. And Willow, is one of those people. When her family moves to Hadleigh House and promise this is the last move, Willow is overjoyed and will do anything to stay. Even match wits with four ghosts (two spicy sisters (one has a thing about touching the bottoms of ghost investigators), a WWI dough boy, and The Lady) and a creepy demon cat-thing.
The story of Forever Home by Jenna Ayoub is sweet, has humor, and (as mentioned in the author biography as a format the author likes), character driven. Adults reading will know “things will work out” while the kids will be wondering can Willow convince her parents that yes, ghosts do exist and they like reading books (even romances), moving things about, groaning like a creaky old house, and causing drafts. Adults and children will enjoy the references to those feisty 1800’s ladies, wonder why The Lady had so many husbands and almost husbands, and wonder why Thomas is “living” in the house and not with his friends in France.
There are a few lessons learned, and fun to be had and all is tied in wit the artwork, also by Ayoub. The artwork is simple, but perfect for the story. Nothing is waisted or distracting. It is all there as needed. Illustrations support the work and does not take away from the plot. They might not be overly colorful, but not dulled in any way. Overall, everything is just nice.
I was wondering if there were sequels or companion novels, but my research has not located anything yet. Best for strong ages 8 to 12 or young 13.
