Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
Chloe is in a home for "troubled" kids. I put in quotation marks because from what I recollect it wasn't a house for those who have drug problems, but those underwent something traumatic and have trouble adjusting, or children who have trouble living amongst "normal" society. A girl is agoraphobic, another (Eric) was burnt in a fire and ostracized by society. Chloe herself lost her mother at a young age after her parents divorced. Her life and routine of taking care of the plants is jarred when her older brother, Skip, comes and gets her out of the home. Since her doctor recommends and encourages it, she follows, but is intensely. The home wants to have a halfway house in the city/town, but there is opposition. A series of thefts occurs, as well as the appearance of a mysterious gardener around Chloe's neighborhood. The kids of the home get accused and this moves into thoughts and actions of trying to prove their innocence.
Is Cancer: Dark Shadows appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 10 and up.
A gentle story about troubled kids in a therapeutic home facing community prejudice when thefts occur in their neighborhood. Deals with loss, trauma, and social stigma with sensitivity appropriate for middle grade readers.
What to know going in
This book has mild violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include death of parent, divorce, and trauma (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Kids who like mysteries and stories about outsiders proving themselves will enjoy following Chloe and her housemates as they clear their names.