Elizabeth and Zenobia

Gr 4–7—After Elizabeth's mother runs off, Elizabeth's botanically inclined father takes her along in a retreat to his childhood home of Witheringe House, a many-roomed mansion on a fog-shrouded green, with an atmosphere that emphasizes the "wither" in its name. Elizabeth's invisible friend, Zenobia, is excited by the change in location: she's always preferred dead trees in a landscape. The possibility that spirits may inhabit the house makes it more enticing to Zenobia, if not to Elizabeth. With Mrs. Purswell keeping house, and Miss Clemency for a tutor, Elizabeth, urged on by Zenobia, still finds time to explore for spirit presence. The story is delightfully creepy, with flickering candles, an amateur séance, a tumbledown gardener's shack, a missing aunt, and wallpaper with a mind of its own. Shiromi Arserio narrates with a gentle English accent, adding just enough petulance to Zenobia's tone when Elizabeth hesitates at entering Witheringe's forbidden East Wing. The black-and-white illustrations channel the spirit of Edward Gorey and are included as a PDF with the audiobook.