What would your "dreamhouse" be like?

How would you like to find a charming old Victorian house in a beautiful little town? What if the price was great and it had plenty of space - it just needed a few repairs and some cleaning?

That's how a series called The Dreamhouse Kings by Robert Liparulo starts. The King family has moved from Pasadena to Pinedale, California and the kids aren't very happy about the move. But their father is the new principal for the local high school and they resolve to make the most of it. They even find their "dreamhouse" - a beautiful old Victorian just outside of town in the woods.

But the oldest boy, Alexander (Xander), notices some unusual things about the house. Sounds travel in strange ways, and although voices seem to come from the kitchen the person soon appears elsewhere. Then, his younger brother David, hides in a linen closet and winds up exiting from a locker at the school. And then there's that secret upstairs hallway full of rooms that go even farther... scary places like France during WWII, or a Civil War battlefield, or the Roman Coliseum during the days of the gladiators.  But by the time they realize how dangerous the house really is, leaving is no longer an option.

If you're still going through withdrawl because Harry Potter ended, this is an exciting series that'll leave you hyperventilating with the situations the King family is thrown into and scrambling for the next book in the series. It starts with House of Dark Shadows, and even though each of the six books are about 300 pages long, they're quick reads because they're so hard to put down. (Note: I received books 3 and 4 from Amazon Vine)

Sometimes (frequently!) the story can be a bit intense and scary (nothing gory or inappropriate, though), so it may not be entirely suitable for some kids... or adults with heart conditions. Just kidding... sort of.