Babysitting Nightmares: The Shadow Hand by Kat Shepherd

How I Heard About It:  I had the honor of meeting Kat Shepherd at #NerdCampMI this past July.  It was a pleasure talking with her and wonderful to learn that she lives right here in the Twin Cities where I live.  We are hoping to connect my fourth grade class with her at some point during the 18/19 school year.  Kat Shepherd was kind, fun, and so giving with her time.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Rebecca loves to babysit and is good at it.  During one "job", there is a storm and something bizarre, strange, and scary occurs.

2.  *The baby, Kyle, that Rebecca was babysitting, begins to act strangely and she learns that the storm only happened at the house she was babysitting.  There are also a variety of strange happenings going on inside the house.

3.  *Rebecca wants to get to the bottom of what is going on and enlists the help of her friends Tanya, Maggie, and Clio.  Each friend brings a special talent/gift in solving the "mystery".  

4.  *Every strong middle-grade novel needs a villain, and this particular story has a "top-notch" villain that readers won't soon forget.  Nor will the group of babysitters!  

5.  *The group of girls realize they must travel to another world in order to rescue the real and true baby Kyle.    


What I Thought Of It:  As I was reading the novel, I kept thinking how much my fourth graders would enjoy the story.  I'm thinking of choosing it for a "Breakfast with Books" book club selection in October of 2018.  I so appreciate when authors create a book that is absolutely perfect for middle-grade readers.  The chapters were short.  The plot was fast-paced.  The characters were full of life.  The action was nonstop.  I have an ARC of book number two and can't wait to see what Kat Shepherd has in store for the reader.  


Who Should Read It:   I already mentioned it, but this is the perfect novel for the middle-grade reader.  I know that third, fourth, and fifth readers will find great satisfaction reading about the adventures of these four girls.  Your female readers may enjoy the story a bit more, but I know I'm going to use the book with all of my readers.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars!