Liesl & Po / Lauren Oliver / 307 pages

This is YA author Oliver's first attempt at writing for the middle grades. It has all the right elements...ghosts, evil alchemist, murdering stepmother, magic, a true friend and a simple-minded hero but may be a hard sell for most readers. I thought it was a bit heavy on the message that there is reason to live and we can be happy even after someone very important to us dies. It is a satisfying read in that the evil characters do get their just desserts. There are abundant illustrations which help to make the story and the characters come alive. Recommended but maybe not for every reader.