The Door by the Staircase

by Katherine Marsh, Disney Digital Books (Illustrator)

Overview

Twelve-year-old Mary Hayes can't stand her orphanage for another night. But when an attempted escape through the stove pipe doesn't go quite as well as she'd hoped, Mary fears she'll be stuck in the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies forever. The very next day, a mysterious woman named Madame Z appears at the orphanage requesting to adopt Mary, and the matron's all too happy to get the girl off her hands. Soon, Mary is fed a hearty meal, dressed in a clean, new nightgown and shown to a soft bed with blankets piled high. She can hardly believe she isn't dreaming! But when Mary begins to explore the strange nearby town with the help of her new friend, Jacob, she learns a terrifying secret about Madame Z's true identity. If Mary's not careful, her new home might just turn into a nightmare. Award-winning author Katherine Marsh draws from Russian fairytales in this darkly funny middle-grade fantasy novel Praise for Jepp, Who Defied the Stars New York Times Notable Children's Books of 2012 The Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of 2012 * "This shining gem is a must-have." ??? School Library Journal, starred review * "???an epic search for love, family, respect, and a destiny of one's own making." ??? Publishers Weekly, starred review * "???this outstanding work of historical fiction provides readers with more than just an imagined biography. Incorporating elements of adventure, romance, tragedy, intrigue, and science, the novel conjures a place and time not commonly explored in young adult fiction ???" ??? Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review "Rich, absorbing storytelling???a terrific read in every way." ???Nancy Werlin, National Book Award Finalist and author of Impossible "Narrating a young adult novel from a dwarf's perspective is nothing short of inspired. ??? Marsh transcends genre to create an engaging narrative complex enough to keep not-so-young adults turning its pages." ??? The New York Times Book Review Praise for The Twilight Prisoner * "Readers should

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781484720103
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/13/2015
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Katherine Marsh is the Edgar Award winning author of The Night Tourist, The Twilight Prisoner, and Jepp, Who Defied the Stars. She grew up in New York with her Russian grandmother who lovingly prepared many of the dishes in this book. Katherine currently lives in Brussels, Belgium with her husband and two children. Visit her online at www.katherinemarsh.com.


Kelly Murphy is an award-winning illustrator working predominantly with traditional and mixed media. Since receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, she has illustrated a number of books for children, including Secrets at Sea by Richard Peck and the New York Times bestseller Masterpiece by Elise Broach. Visit Kelly online at www.kelmurphy.com.

Editorial Reviews

* "Well-drawn characters, an original setting, and a satisfying resolution are the ingredients that make this carefully crafted middle-grade adventure a highly rewarding read."— Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Marsh has crafted a sparkling tale full of adventure, magic, and folklore."— School Library Journal, starred review
"[An] engaging, almost cinematic story . . ."— The Wall Street Journal

From the Publisher

★ 12/01/2015
Gr 4–6—When readers meet orphan Mary Hayes, she's clawing her way up a chimney to escape from the Buffalo Asylum for Young Ladies. Miraculously, she succeeds—but only until a freak whirlwind causes the cruel headmistress to spot her out a window. After she's brought back in and confined to a closet, Mary fears that she's doomed—that is, until a mysterious woman named Madame Z appears the next morning, wanting to adopt an orphan. Mary eagerly volunteers, and without much thought, Madame Z agrees. Mary's new home is called Iris, a town with a sideshow flair. She soon meets a magician's son named Jacob, a fast friend and ally. Before long, Mary realizes that amid all of the town's razzle-dazzle, there's also real magic. She's astounded to learn that Madame Z is a witch, complete with a talking cat. But Mary senses that something is off, and, indeed, the groundskeeper reveals that Madame Z is actually Baba Yaga—a powerful witch who eats children. Her fierce sense of self-preservation still intact, Mary immediately starts plotting her escape with Jacob. But as the adventure unfolds, it becomes clear that Baba Yaga may not be the enemy after all. Marsh has crafted a sparkling tale full of adventure, magic, and folklore. It's a delightful mash-up of stories and traditions; imagine Little Orphan Annie crossed with Russian folklore, plunked down in the spiritualist community of Lily Dale, NY, with a dash of Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away on top. VERDICT Perhaps not a story for reluctant or struggling readers—it's relatively demanding in terms of length and vocabulary—but for those willing to tackle a rich and layered text, there's much here to enjoy.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

★ 2015-09-16
Will bravery, kindness, and perceptiveness be enough to earn 12-year-old orphan Mary Hayes a permanent home with Madame Zolotaya, the elderly woman who rescues her from a terrible Buffalo orphanage? Even if readers don't know Baba Yaga, they will probably recognize that Mary's savior is a witch whose delicious meals are designed to fatten her up for the oven. "I am no one's mother" the wrinkled old woman says. Can she become one? is the underlying question, and the answer will be heartwarming to any reader. Madame Z lives in the woods outside Iris, a town full of people who profess to be masters of the occult: "con artists, fakes, and charlatans" she calls them. But there is real magic there, too, and Mary and her new friend, Jacob Kagan, son of a traveling illusionist, are determined to find it to ensure that they both will have permanent homes. There is suspense throughout and heart-stopping moments early on to draw readers into this immensely satisfying story. Woven into the traditional third-person narrative are intriguing details about magicians' secrets and mouthwatering descriptions of Russian foods: blini, mushroom and potato dumplings, kulich with farmer's cheese, and rye bread with holodetz, this last eaten on a peekneek. Well-drawn characters, an original setting, and a satisfying resolution are the ingredients that make this carefully crafted middle-grade adventure a highly rewarding read. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews