“He looked harmless enough. He was no more than six inches taller than Harvey, his frame scrawny, his skin distinctly yellowish in color. He was wearing a fancy suit, a pair of spectacles and a lavish smile.”

“The House was more welcoming than ever today, the flowers Mrs. Griffin had set on every table and sill singing with color.”

“The breeze was warm, and smelled of the green scent of growing things; the perfect sky was full of swooping birds.”

“That was why the sky was so faultlessly blue, and the birds making such music.”

“The leaves rustled underfoot as though snakes were swarming through them;"

him alive. He complains to his mother, so she suggests he cleans his room. Just when Harvey

thinks he might die of boredom, a gust of wind blows his bedroom window open, and a man

appears. This man, slightly taller than Harvey, seems somewhat harmless. He introduces

himself as Rictus. He wears a suit, spectacles, and a “lavish” smile. Rictus tells Harvey that he

flew threw his window when he heard him sigh from a mile away. Rictus knows that Harvey

could use a vacation, and he knows just the place. In this place, the days are always sunny and

the nights are full of wonders. Rictus explains that he cannot promise anything, but he’ll find

out if this special place has room for one more guest. Harvey has the urge to ask questions,

but Rictus tells him he may not ask questions. Rictus leaves, telling Harvey, “Keep your mouth

shut and we’ll see what comes your way!”

from his parents, but Harvey still hoped that Rictus would return. About a week after Rictus’s

first visit, Harvey heard his voice flying above his head as he was walking to school. Rictus

shares that he has spoken to his boss, and there is enough room for Harvey at the Holiday

House. At first, Harvey is hesitant, as he does not want his parents to worry about him;

however, he knows he does not want to pass up this opportunity, so he goes with Rictus. As

they walk through Harvey’s hometown, Millsap, Rictus chats about many different topics,

including the weather and how dirty the city is. They finally arrive at a tall stone wall that turns

transparent as you stare at it. Rictus tells Harvey to walk straight toward the wall to enter

the Holiday House. Harvey excitedly walks through the shimmering stone wall toward the house.

The highest point on the house is an elaborate weathervane. Mrs. Griffin, who looks older than

Harvey’s grandmother, welcomes him. As they enter the house, Harvey watches a gleeful boy

named Wendell chasing a cat. He realizes that the inside of the house is even more wonderful

than the outside. It seems as though it was built for games, chases, and adventures. Harvey

tells Mrs. Griffin that the house is perfect. However, she responds, “Nothing’s perfect because

time passes. And the beetle and the worm find their way into everything sooner or later.”

Harvey wonders why Mrs. Griffin is so mournful. Mrs. Griffin apologies for sharing her dirges

and makes Harvey a table full of delicious treats, including fried chicken, buttered potatoes,

pies, and ice cream. A freckled girl enters the kitchen and introduces herself and Lulu. She tells

Harvey that he’ll meet Rictus’s sister and two brothers at some point, and Harvey tells her

that he’ll likely not stay long since his parents don’t know he’s there. She reminds him that his

parents do know, and suggests he calls them if he wants to be sure. Harvey calls his mother

and is shocked that she is already aware that he is at the Holiday House. Harvey’s mother

explains that she had asked Rictus show him the Holiday House since he deserves a break from

school. Mrs. Griffin shows Harvey to his room. She introduces him to multiple cats along the

way and explains that he is a special boy since Mr. Hood is allowing him to stay in the Holiday

House. Mr. Hood is the one who built the house, and he is a very private man. Harvey must be

relaxed because when his head hits the pillow, he falls asleep.

because the trees which were heavy with leaves yesterday afternoon were now budding.

Wendell, the boy who was chasing the cat the night before, introduces himself to Harvey.

Wendell asks Harvey if he will help him work on the treehouse. Harvey agrees but decides to

eat breakfast first. While having breakfast, Harvey notices that one of the cats, Clue-Cat, is

walking on the table with all the food. Mrs. Griffin explains that Clue-Cat, who has a tail shaped

like a question mark, does what he wants. Harvey goes out to the treehouse to help Wendell

for the rest of the afternoon. At one point, when Harvey is at the top of the treehouse

overlooking the city, he realizes that everything outside the Holiday House property disappears

into grayness. By noon, the boys are ready for lunch. They go back into the house to eat. While

they wait at the table, Harvey asks if they can go fishing. Mrs. Griffin shouts and drops a plate

after hearing what Harvey said. She tells him that the fish are poisonous, and she does not

want him to get sick. When Mrs. Griffin leaves the kitchen to put on a new apron, Clue-Cat

jumps up on the stove to sniff the food. His tail catches fire from the burner, and the cat

goes up into flames and falls to the floor, dead. Wendell panics and runs away while Harvey

stands there in disbelief, wanting to cry. Mrs. Griffin is devastated but admits that she cannot

cry. Instead, she finds Harvey’s tears to be comforting. Harvey offers to help Mrs. Griffin

bury the cat, but she insists that he go outside to enjoy himself, as the sun won’t last forever.

Harvey searches for Wendell and finds him reading comics in the shade of the trees. Harvey

suggests they go to the lake, but Wendell says it’s no fun. Harvey decides to go by himself and

works his way through the prickly bushes to get there. He quickly realizes it wasn’t worth the

trouble. The lake is large, gloomy, and drear. There is a film of green scum on top, and the fish

are as big as Harvey. Harvey notices that Lulu is sitting on rocks next to the lake, but when he

attempts to talk to her, she runs away. Harvey makes his way back to Wendell, who says that

nobody in their right minds ever goes to the pond. Harvey remarks that he saw Lulu there,

which just proves Wendell’s point. Harvey tells Wendell that he wants to know everything about

the Holiday House, but Wendell doesn’t seem to care. Wendell tells Harvey to look through the

comics in search of a monster costume idea for that night since it will be Halloween. Harvey

looks through the comics, enjoys a sweet cherry soda, and falls asleep. When he wakes up, it’s

autumn, and the leaves are falling from the trees. Harvey heads back into the house, but

before he enters, he asks the house, “You’re real. You are, aren’t you?” Out of nowhere, Harvey

hears a whisper in response, “What do you think, child?”

costume. Wendell takes Harvey to a large, musty room that is filled with costumes and masks.

Wendell explains that Mr. Hood collects them. They each find a costume and head to the back

of the House. (Since it is not Halloween anywhere else, they can’t go trick-or-treating. As they

make their way through the darkness, Wendell spots something and tells Harvey to look up.

When he does, he notices a strange bat-like creature moving across the sky. When he looks

back down, Wendell has disappeared. Harvey believes that Wendell is just trying to scare him, so

he follows a creaking noise. Harvey’s sure that noise is Wendell climbing up to the tree house. He

stumbles upon something hanging from a tree and grabs onto it. This large thing falls out of

the tree and a firework in the distance lights up the yard for just long enough for Harvey to

see that he is holding a dead body with a noose around its neck. Another firework reveals that

the body is fake, and it has a pumpkin head. Harvey is furious with Wendell for tricking him.

Harvey asks about the winged creature he saw outside and Wendell refuses to talk about it,

going back to his usual, “Who cares?” reaction. Harvey gets frustrated when Wendell refuses to

admit what he saw, even though he knows that this House is filled with illusions. He gets up

from the table angrily and goes upstairs to his room to change. On his way upstairs, he comes

across Lulu who is staring out the window of the landing. Lulu tells Harvey that it will be

Christmas soon, so he should be wishing for things. She no longer has to wish for things

because she has been there so long that she has everything she has ever wanted. Lulu takes

Harvey to her room to see all her treasures. She has many boxes, dolls, and friendly lizards. On

his way out of her room, Lulu tells Harvey that she likes him. Harvey admits he likes Lulu, as

well. He also warns her to stay away from the lake. He explains that she might slip in, and he

doesn’t want her to get hurt. As he goes back to his room, Harvey tries to think up a gift he’d

like for Christmas – one that would be difficult for the House to give him. He comes up with

something he knows will be impossible to duplicate - the ark his father had made him for him.

He goes back downstairs to see that everything is decorated for Christmas. Wendell is playing

outside in the snow, but Harvey is too tired to join him. Mrs. Griffin tells Harvey that there is

something for him under the tree. He is shocked to unwrap a perfect copy of the ark his

father made for him. Mrs. Griffin explains that Mr. Hood knows every dream in Harvey’s head.

glutton - greedy eater

peered - look closely; squint

precarious - not steady; likely to fall

suppress - put an end to; stop

tedious - boring and long

"wolfish fangs"

"wild, lunatic laughter"

“tear-stained face and trembling hands.”

fair-weather friend-a person who’s only your friend in good times

morsel- a small amount of food

mourned- felt sorrow for, cried for

nimble- quick and light in action

pounce- jump on

retreated- pulled back/fled

supplications- action of asking or begging

thicket- dense bushes

unpalatable- bad tasting

whoop- a loud cry of joy or excitement 

One day, one of Rictus’s siblings shows up. His name is Jive, and he had many tics, jigs, and jitters

that make it seem as if his body is always in motion. Jive checks on Harvey to make sure that

he is still happy. Jive reminds Harvey that he never got back at Wendell for the trick he pulled

on him. Jive suggests they “cook something up” between the two of them. Jive asks Harvey

what his favorite monster is, and Harvey tells him he likes vampires. Jive tells Harvey to meet

him on the roof where Marr will help him transform into a vampire. On the roof, Harvey meets

Marr for the first time. Marr is grossly fat and seems to have slug blood in her somewhere.

Marr asks Harvey if he has ever flown before, and Harvey admits that he has dreamt about it

before. Harvey notices that Marr has no teeth. Marr explains that Carna took her beautiful

teeth. Marr touches Harvey and molds his face into a vampire as if his face is made of clay.

Harvey asks for wings, fangs, a red throat, and white skin, too. As she finishes his

transformation, Marr warns Harvey that he is playing a dangerous game, as he will either

break his head or scare the life out of Wendell. Or both. Jive reassures Harvey that he will be

fine, as he’s “got the knack of this.” Jive points out that Wendell is down below, and Harvey

realizes that he can see Harvey perfectly, even though it is pitch dark out. He can hear his

heart beating and his breathing, too. Jive shoves Harvey off the edge of the roof.

meant when he said this was an “education.” He wonders what lesson he was supposed to learn

by jumping off the roof and scaring Wendell. He also wonders what all the stuff about soulstealers

 means, and why these soul-stealers need to be “served.” He has so many questions,

but no answers. Later in the afternoon, when Harvey is lounging in the shade of the treehouse,

he sees Wendell racing across the lawn. When Harvey catches up to him, Wendell explains that

he has been trying to leave for hours and hours, but the mist keeps sending him back the way

he came. Wendell says that there have been other children who have disappeared, and he thinks

that if he stays in the Holiday House, then he will either die or lose his mind like Lulu. Harvey and

Wendell walk to the wall. Harvey attempts to walk through it, just as he entered. However, each

time he tries to walk into the wall, he is turned around without evening being aware of it, finding

himself facing the house again. Harvey tells Wendell that they must pretend they’ve given up on

trying to leave. In the meantime, Harvey plans to do some investigating. He goes up to Lulu’s

room and finds it empty. The bathtub is almost full and her clothes are scattered on the

ground in puddles. Harvey finds Mrs. Griffin and asks if she has seen Lulu. Mrs. Griffin reminds

Harvey that Mr. Hood does not like “inquisitive guests,” and Harvey tells her that he doesn’t

believe that Mr. Hood exists. Mrs. Griffin finally breaks down and tells Harvey that they’re all

stuck in this house forever, and to enjoy himself for the short time that is left. She tells

Harvey that if he tries to escape again, Carna will come after him. She tells Harvey that Mr.

Hood is dead, and he never wants to meet Carna, who lives on the roof with Jive, Marr, and

Rictus.

exchange addresses so they can keep in touch and support each other’s accounts of what

happened in the Holiday House. Wendell finally makes it to his house and knocks on the door. It

takes a while for anyone to answer, which is logical as it is still nighttime. An old man answers

the door, and Harvey realizes that he has the wrong house. The old man’s wife appears at his

side, and Harvey realizes this is his mother. His father refuses to believe it, as Harvey has been

missing for 31 years, so he should be a man now, not a boy. After a few minutes, Harvey’s dad

begins to believe that Harvey really is his son; however, he doesn’t understand it and considers

the fact that Harvey may be a ghost. Harvey realizes that for every day he spent at the

Holiday House, a year went by in the real world. His parents welcome him into the house and his

mother offers to make up a bed for him right away. Harvey tells his parents that he wants to

share his story first.

enough already. Harvey explains that they must get through the misty wall to escape, so his

plan is to hold hands to make sure the wall does not turn them around in the process of

walking through. As Wendell begins to walk through, the front door of the house bursts open,

and Harvey can see Mrs. Griffin coming down the stairs after them. She is yelling at him to

come back to the house, quickly. Then, Harvey looks up to find Carna, the beast from the roof

coming down upon him with its wide jaws, ready to bite. Harvey yells at Wendell that the beast

is after them, but Wendell explains that he cannot find a way out. From the corner of his eye,

Harvey sees Mrs. Griffin reaching into the mist and dropping Blue-Cat to the ground. Blue-Cat

has a great sense of direction, so they follow him. Blue-Cat helps them find their way out, but

then they realize that Carna has followed them out into the real world. Right when they think

there is no way they will survive, Carna begins crying and falling to the ground. Carna’s wings

begin to disappear, and it becomes clear that Carna cannot survive out in the real world. Carna

disappears completely. Wendell wonders if he will even remember the Holiday house after a

week. Harvey says that he will definitely remember because he brought souvenirs – the ark

pieces. As soon as he takes them out of his pocket, they crumble and turn to dust.

Wendell that they should just relax and enjoy themselves. At the same time, Harvey hands

Wendell a secret note for him to read that tells him to meet Harvey at midnight to plan an

escape. For the rest of the day, Harvey and Wendell felt like actors, pretending to enjoy their

day as usual. Then, at midnight, Harvey got dressed and snuck out the kitchen door, hoping

that the house, or whoever controlled it, was “asleep.” As he turns the corner, he hears

someone calling his name. It turns out to be Lulu, but she is shimmering and keeping her

distance. She tells him she cannot go with him, as it is too late for her. Lulu wants to give him a

gift before he leaves, and she makes him close his eyes as she comes close to place three

items in his hand. They are three survivors from his ark. Harvey realizes that there is no way

she is human if she was able to swim to the depths of the lake to retrieve these toys. Lulu

was slowly becoming a sister to the strange fish that swam in the lake. As Lulu retreats, she

reiterates to Harvey that it is too late to save her; however, Harvey follows her, determined to

get her out of the Holiday House. He believes that if he can get her away from the house, it’s

magic will no longer have a hold on her. Or, perhaps he could find a doctor for her. He catches

up to her as she transforms into a fish and jumps into the lake.

humble - respectful and meek
wrest - forcibly take away

Mrs. Griffin is, and Rictus explains that they have laid her down somewhere safe and sound

since she is getting old. Stew-Cat rubs herself against Harvey’s legs. Harvey tells Rictus that he

isn’t happy because he cannot remember where he left his presents. Rictus offers to find

them. Harvey enters the kitchen to check on Wendell and finds Jive cooking a buffet full of

delicious foods. Harvey has to remind himself that the foods are not real - they’re just dust.

Stew-Cat gets Harvey’s attention again, so he follows her. She leads him down a narrow

passage to a door he had never noticed before. The door is locked, but Stew-Cat directs him

to a small table with a wooden box on it. Inside the box, Harvey finds a key for the door. The

door leads to a wooden staircase. Harvey follows Stew-Cat down the 52 stairs, into the gloom.

The only thing Harvey sees in the cavernous basement is a large wooden box. Stew-Cat jumps

onto the box and begins to claw at it. The box is more of a coffin, and it is locked shut. Harvey

sees an apron string hanging out of it and assumes Mrs. Griffin is inside. He finds two rocks to

break the lock and opens the lid.

time, but Harvey tells Rictus that he has an appointment with Rictus’s master in the attic.

When Harvey gets to the bottom of the stairs, Jive stops him and tries to tempt him with

warm pie and ice cream; however, Harvey will not fall for this ploy. Jive tells Harvey he will prove

the food is not poisonous by eating some. Jive takes a large bite despite Rictus’s warning. Jive

immediately becomes sick and tries to rid himself of the food he just ate. Instead, he starts

spitting dust. Rictus retreats and Jive slowly turns to dust, calling up to Mr. Hood before he

disappears into a heap of dust. Wendell appears, happy and full. Harvey knows that Wendell

cannot help him, as the House has claimed him entirely. So, he tells Wendell that Mrs. Griffin is

outside, Wendell heads out to see her as Harvey begins to climb the stairs.

all Harvey wants is his years back. Harvey asks Rictus if the children in the lake would be set

free if he were to agree to stay. Rictus assures Harvey that the children in the lake are happy;

however, Harvey knows this is not true. Harvey tells Rictus that he will just go to the lake and

free the children himself. As he storms outside, Rictus desperately tries to convince Harvey to

stay by offering him a motorcycle, a dog, all the books in the world, the state of Alaska, a

medal from the President and tigers. But, nothing will stop Harvey from helping the children.

Harvey suddenly wonders where Wendell is, and Rictus tells him that he has turned into another

lake fish like the other children.

mesmerized - spellbound
rubble - what remains when a building is demolished

vortex - whirlpool

is being followed by Wendell and a crowd of children who are now free from the lake. Suddenly,

Rictus appears in the rubble. He explains that he stole a piece of Hood’s magic just in case. Now,

he has enough magic to stick around for a long time. Rictus shares his plans to rebuild the

house and pick up where Hood left off. Just then, long fingers reach up from the rubble and

snatch hold of his throat, dragging him down into the dirt. Harvey knows this is Hood, who has come to seek revenge against Rictus who had stolen some of his magic. Hood demands his magic back, and Rictus gives in. Then, the form of a man (made of pieces of the house) appears out of the rubble.

the wind knocks him around. Hood-House yells “Enough!” However, its voice is now weak and likely unheard by the seasons who are raging on, throwing themselves against one another. Harvey finds himself in the middle of a battlefield. The chimneys on the house fall apart, and lightning strikes set fire to the floors and furniture. Harvey can’t believe that he has found a way to bring the house down, as it turns to dust in front of his eyes. Harvey watches as the souls of children float away and Mrs. Griffin disappears with tears of joy on her face.

and his limbs are made of timber. Rictus tells Mr. Hood that he will kill Harvey, but Mr. Hood blames Rictus for bringing Harvey to the house in the first place. At that moment, Mr. Hood twisted Rictus’s head right off, and he falls apart to nothing. Mr. Hood tells Harvey that he is about to see power. Mr. Hood takes off chasing after Harvey, who runs in the other direction. Lulu calls Harvey toward the lake, which is their only escape. At the edge of the lake, Mr. Hood tells Harvey to choose his death – either go down the vortex in the lake or be killed by The Vampire King, who promises to rock him to sleep on a bed of illusions. At that moment, Harvey grabs the creature’s coat and pulls it off him, exposing the void underneath. Lulu has found a

weapon, and whacks Mr. Hood in the back of the knee, throwing him off balance. Mr. Hood frantically grabs for his coat, but Harvey flings it into the water. Mr. Hood dives into the frenzied waters. Mr. Hood finds himself pleading for help, as the vortex is too strong and is taking him under. At that moment, Wendell appears, curious about what he has missed.

parents are back to their younger selves again. They look the same way they did the day Rictus flew into Harvey’s window. Harvey’s parents demand an explanation regarding where Harvey has been. Harvey decides to tell them the whole truth and offers to take them to the site of the house. Of course, his parents do not believe his story. So, Harvey takes them to the location of a house, which is now a grassy hill. Once there, an older man finds him and talks

about Hood’s buried memories. The old man tells Harvey’s parents that the stories their son

has told them are all true. He had heard about them from his wife, Lulu. Lulu, a much older woman now, stands at the bottom of the hill. Her husband explains that she wants Harvey to remember her as a young child rather than as an elderly woman. From then on, Harvey lives his life differently. He does not waste it with sighs and complaints. Instead, he fills every moment

with happiness and love.