Module 9 - Dollhouse Murders

Book
The Dollhouse Murders
Written by Betty Ren Wright

Citation
Wright, B.R. (1983). The dollhouse murders. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Summary
Amy Treloar's aunt lives in the family house which hold the answer to a family tragedy that killed Amy's grandparents. Guilt and fear drive Amy's aunt to stay away and forbid Amy to continue down the path of revealing what the attic holds. However, a childhood toy, Amy's aunt's dollhouse, seems to be speaking to Amy, begging to share what insights and secrets it has kept hidden within its walls for so long. Amy, although scared, is determined to find out what the dollhouse is trying to tell them, even against her aunt's wishes to stop the research and investigation. The truth is upstairs in the attic, within the dollhouse - Amy is sure of that. But, can she find the answers before its too late?

Reviews
Publisher's Weekly (1999): Wright's taut, suspenseful novel proves a solid choice to kick off the Live Oak Mysteries audio series. The attic is always a great place to look for nuggets of one's family history, but when 12-year-old Amy explores her great-grandparents' attic, she uncovers clues to a chilling family secret. As Amy and her Aunt Claire sift through clothes, trinkets and other memorabilia, Amy comes across Aunt Claire's long-forgotten dollhouse, a finely crafted replica of the house they are in. Aunt Claire seems unusually distressed about the dollhouse and Amy is determined to find out why. The real fun begins when Amy learns that the dolls in the dollhouse move of their own will and that they seem to be trying to tell her something. After a little sleuthing at the local library, Amy learns that her great-grandparents were murdered years ago and that Aunt Claire's fiance? (who died in a car accident that same night) was the prime suspect in the unsolved case. Before long, Amy unravels the mystery, helping Aunt Claire to resolve her feelings about the past. A subplot about Amy's relationships with her parents, younger sister and best friend adds depth and warmth to this crisply paced tale. Stewart handles the narration with aplomb, using her voice to give listeners a hint of each character's personality. Her portrayal of Aunt Claire, who delivers a few chillingly snappish retorts to Amy, is particularly strong. Ages 8-up.

School Library Journal (1999): Grade 4-6-This scary mystery by Betty Ren Wright (Holiday, 1983) is sure to keep the interest of students, mainly girls. Narrator Carol Jordan Stewart does an excellent job. Her diction, pacing, and characterization are well-done. Twelve-year-old Amy is having difficulties at home being responsible for her brain-damaged sister, Louann. While visiting her Aunt Clare at the old family home, she discovers an eerily-haunted dollhouse in the attic-an exact replica of the family home. Whenever she sees it, the dolls, representing her relatives, have moved. Her aunt won't listen to Amy's claims that the dolls are trying to tell her something. This leads Amy to research old news reports where she discovers a family secret-the murder of her grandparents. The two sisters unravel the mystery. Amy grows to accept her sister and to understand that Louann is more capable than she had first thought.

Suggested Use
Because of the mysterious nature of the book, allowing students to create book trailers that show other students the highlights of the plot, give rise to the clues that help the mystery along, and, in general, get students excited about checking this book out of the library.

Impression
I have read this book aloud to my fourth grade students for years. I love the several chapters that have on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments when something big is about to happen! The descriptions lend a movie-like mental image, engaging readers and listeners for the duration of the book. The ending is satisfying for even the most picky mystery reader.