Greenglass House & Ghosts of Greenglass House

Milo Pine lives with his mom and dad in an inn called Greenglass House, and he's looking forward to a quiet winter break, thank you very much. Unfortunately for him, the inn has guests - two winter breaks in a row! Greenglass House, and its follow-up, Ghosts of Greenglass House are both super fun novels to lose yourself in during your own winter break, or snowed-in weekend, or even on a quiet Friday night when you refuse to wander into freezing temperatures. Plenty of mystery, quirky characters, and a protagonist any introvert can relate to make these books great for middle grade readers and adults alike.

Greenglass House:

Greenglass House by Kate Milford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What secrets do the stained glass windows of Greenglass House hold, and why are so many guests suddenly interested in them? Milo and his snowed-in friend Meddy create mystery-solving characters for themselves to help his parents figure out which of the new guests is stealing others' possessions and creating havoc in their cozy inn. Is everyone telling the truth about who they are and why they chose to stay at Greenglass House?

I was totally taken in by Milford's world-building and loved the way she incorporated role-playing games and unique takes on traditional mystery tropes. Milo is nothing short of adorable, a kid that young Rachel would've befriended and adult Rachel wants to adopt herself, and Meddy provides just the right amount of snark and wit to keep the very grown-up capers from bogging the fun of the story down.

Ghosts of Greenglass House:

Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Milo's back and ready to finally enjoy a quiet winter break, even though there's no snow yet...and then the guests start to show up. Again. A few old friends plus some new faces appear just as the Winter Solstice begins, and this time of mystery and magic has odd events occurring throughout the house and its surrounding grounds. Milo really hopes Meddy joins him again, as it seems there are a few more mysteries for them to solve, and he could use a sidekick to boost his confidence.

I'm glad I read this sequel fairly soon after finishing Greenglass House, as it helped to place returning characters quicker (and I also didn't have to spend so much time away from the world of Nagspeake & the inn). These books are undeniably winter books, and go so well with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, under a blanket, with a fire by your side (or a radiator hissing steam). It should also be mentioned that while the setting is immersive, the characters realistic, and the story engrossing, the relationship between Milo and his parents is what really makes this book stand out for the middle grade crowd especially. Ben and Nora Pine are loving, but they have their own lives as well. They allow Milo to make mistakes, they answer his questions honestly, and they trust him to make good decisions (because that's how they've raised him). They never hover, but they're also not missing from the story - they are two of the most authentic parents I've read in children's fiction, which always seems to sway too far to one extreme or the other.


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