The Creepening of Dogwood House - by Eden Royce

About the Book

"At night, Roddie still dreams of sitting at his mother's feet while she braids his Afro down. But that's a memory from before. Before his mom died in a tragic accident. Before he was taken in by an aunt he barely knows. Before his aunt brought him to Dogwood House, the creepiest place Roddie has ever seen. It was his family's home for over a hundred years. Now the house--abandoned and rotting, draped in Spanish moss that reminds him too much of hair--is his home, too. Aunt Angie has returned to South Carolina to take care of Roddie and reconnect with their family's hoodoo roots. Roddie, however, can't help but feel lost. His mom had never told him anything about hoodoo, Dogwood House, or their family. And as they set about fixing the house up, Roddie discovers that there is even more his mother never said"---

Book Synopsis

The Walter Award Honor-winning author of Root Magic returns with a terrifying story in the Southern Gothic tradition, inspired by the hoodoo practice of hair burning.

At night, Roddie still dreams of sitting at his mother's feet while she braids his Afro down. But that's a memory from before. Before his mom died in a tragic accident. Before he was taken in by an aunt he barely knows. Before his aunt brought him to Dogwood House, the creepiest place Roddie has ever seen. It was his family's home for over a hundred years. Now the house--abandoned and rotting, draped in Spanish moss that reminds him too much of hair--is his home too.

Aunt Angie has returned to South Carolina to take care of Roddie and reconnect with their family's hoodoo roots. Roddie, however, can't help but feel lost. His mom had never told him anything about hoodoo, Dogwood House, or their family. And as they set about fixing the house up, Roddie discovers that there is even more his mother never said. Like why she left home when she was seventeen, never to return. Or why she insisted Aunt Angie always wear her hair in locs. Or what she knew of the strange secrets hidden deep within Dogwood House--secrets that have awoken again, and are reaching out to Roddie...

Review Quotes

"Eden Royce's thriller has all the earmarks of a classic haunted house tale paired with deeply-woven family traditions centered on hoodoo and Black hair. While the horror plot will keep you turning the pages, it's the emotional story of grief and family healing that will have you cheering at the end." -- Tracey Baptiste, New York Times-bestselling author of The Jumbies

"Royce's latest offers readers a strong, character-centered, hoodoo-infused narrative that's a tribute to the beauty of Black hair. Richly detailed settings and themes of family, heritage, and grief provide anchors for the creepy mystery. A thrilling, hair-raising story with strong cultural roots and a well-developed sense of place." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Royce employs marvelously eerie ambiance to craft a tale that is at once a moving narrative about grief and remembrance and a frightening, slow-burning haunted house adventure." -- Publishers Weekly

"Royce offers up an excellent middle-grade horror story full of eerie atmosphere that nicely folds in the importance of connections to cultural history, meaningful examinations of grief, the literal power of Black hair, and how to find light in darkness." -- Booklist

"Royce charms readers with another work of intriguing supernatural fiction laced with historical context. By both offering engaging characters and successfully demystifying hoodoo, this will encourage discussion among kids that may spark a curious exploration into their own culture." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Royce effectively builds suspense while cleverly interweaving facts about hoodoo. She provides a realistic portrayal of the way grief ebbs and flows amidst a kid-friendly scary story that includes a quest for answers, a confrontation with a monster, and a house that transforms to reveal family secrets after dark." -- The Horn Book