A wonderfully illustrated children's book, The House at the End of the Road was a book I enjoyed reading. A great story that's easy to follow. Can't wait to read more by this author in the future.

I did not finish - I have tried reading this book on multiple occasions and just could not get into it.

Nice little story for 2nd grade and younger. Good lesson on not judging homes and people for kids. I like that the kids grandma goes back with the kids to apologize for the broken window. The elderly man who lives in the house is very generous to the children, giving them gifts before they leave. The children thoughtfully make him a nice package of his home as he has been sent to an assisted living facility before they go back home. Illustrations were nice!

There are lots of things to like about Kari Rust's second children's book. As both author and illustrator she has a unique opportunity to control all aspects of the story. However Rust doesn't do this as effectively as I would have liked her to.
The cover and blurb imply this is a scary story, and it is, sort of. I know five year old children who would be sooo disappointed that there are only two pages of 'ghosts' and the rest is just about (albeit cool) old stuff. I would have liked the suspense of a possible ghost to extend longer, maybe a second trip before they tell Grandma(?) That said there are many younger children who may find this a little bit intense. If your child tends to be afraid of Disney villains than on first read be prepared for a bit of fright. However the beauty here is there is no real ghost and so subsequent reads are likely to be fun.

The part I don't like about this story, and my primary reason for only giving it three stars is that the elderly gentleman is just taken away from his home. It disturbs me to think that we are teaching children that old people are just removed from unsafe places. This is definitely not the norm in big cities and feels like a side effect of the story that Rust was perhaps not intending to imply. I also don't like that all his items were gone. Where did they go? Did he get them? His family? It's a little too loose for me and I can see many children asking where his stuff went and no (easy) answer being forthcoming.
With some tweaks this could be an amazing children's story. Unfortunately for me it doesn't quite hit the mark and leaves too many questions unanswered.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

A little sad, a little more grown than you'd think, and very mundane but will touch any kid, especially those with a band of friends that spent summers riding their bikes past the spooky house, the witch's house, or the neighbour that scared them more than they're willing to say. yet it's not spooky, it's beautiful.

I read this with my grandson a little while ago and we enjoyed it. We thought it was going to be a scary halloween story, but we were wrong. Three cousins decide to investigate the creepy house at the end of the road near their grandparents. After throwing rocks at the windows, they see a ghost and hurry home to tell grandma about the haunted house. Well, it turns out that it is not haunted at all, but inhabited by an older gentleman named Mr. Peterson. The children become regular visitors to Mr. Peterson's house that summer and get to know what a great man he really is.

There is a lot to this little book. It deals with adults getting older and being forced by family members and friends into a retirement residence. It also shows the importance of intergenerational friendships as well as not making judgements based on appearances. The children learn from Mr. Peterson, listening to his stories and looking at his pictures. When he goes to live in the retirement home, they take him a memory basket so he will always remember his home, his past and their friendship. My grandson and I had a good discussion about this. We talked about what might happen as I, grandma, get older and how I would always want to spend time with him and his siblings. This story would be a good one to read with children around the age of 8 to 10. I think it would elicit a lot of discussions about spending time with our elders, listening to their stories and respecting all they have to offer. Visits to retirement homes to entertain, play games, do crafts etc. could also follow. I definitely recommend this story.

Three cousins are visiting grandma for the summer. They find an old house at the end of the road and see what they think is a ghost. Turns out to be Mr. Peterson. They become regular visitors to Mr. Peterson's house over the summer and truly enjoy his treasures and his company. Then Mr. Peterson is forced to move to a retirement community and all of his stuff is gone. The kids create mementos for him.

I really enjoyed this story and the message about intergenerational friendships. Kids can learn a lot from older generations and it is nice to see kids doing this. However, it seems like Mr. Peterson was forced from his home and all his possessions were just dumped. Did he want to go? Who made him leave? It didn't look like he couldn't take care of himself or like he had major medical issues. Intuitive kids will ask why Mr. Peterson left his home. Unfortunately, this story does not answer that question.

Thank you to @Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I love the story and how the kids learned that not everything is as it seems.

Kari Rust’s The House at the End of the Road is beautifully illustrated, and also has a heartwarming message. This is a sweet quick read for young or elementary age children about respecting their elders, and about not jumping to conclusions about people. Give someone a chance and you may find a true friend.

Beautifully told and a wonderful example of children learning from, and helping an older person ... Friendship is important. I was provided the book free of charge for review purposes.

A cute reminder that things are not always what they seem. This is a picture book older kids can enjoy.

A young girl and her brother, Patrick, come to stay with their grandmother for the summer. Robert, their cousin, is there already. Right from the start, it was Robert who most fascinated me. He still does. There’s just something about him that tells you he’s a unique character who is full of all kinds of surprises.

The trio of cousins decide to visit the rickety old house at the end of the road. When Robert throws a rock at the window, a face appears. Certain it is a ghost, they run away leaving one of their bikes behind.

After they tell their grandmother, she drags them off to the house to apologize to Mr. Peterson, her favourite teacher and owner of the house. He’s quite the character with a delightfully wacky sense of humour as you can see below as he greets his visitors for the first time.

Over time they visit with Mr. Peterson numerous times. He gives them gifts that are perfect for each of them. This relationship benefits all of them, but it seems that it is most important for Robert who is most devastated when they discover their elderly friend is gone.

The House at the end of the road is a hybrid – part picture book and part graphic novel. There is much I love about it, but mostly it’s the characters. The adults are responsible, but kind and loving. The children are authentic. I’ve had a few Roberts in my teaching life and wish all of them could have significant role models like Mr. Peterson and Grandma.

I adore the art in this book. It’s gorgeously detailed. So much is revealed about the countryside where this takes place and about the characters and their emotions. There is a seamless union of image and words. Separating one from the other in this book is impossible.

This book confirmed for me the importance of acceptance for all children. It reminded me of the special relationships I am lucky enough to have with my own grandchildren and of how important relationships between the oldest and the youngest of us are.

My only quibble with this book is the APPEARANCES ARE DECEIVING message at the end of it. Not only is it not necessary, it simplifies all the important nuances of meaning the book holds.

Your school library should have a copy of this one.

The cover art is all Stranger Things meets haunted house ghost story. But once inside these beautifully drawn pages the only scary thing is just how hauntingly wrong first impressions can be. The House at the End of the Road doesn’t make the mistake of focusing on the wrong assumptions made by our three young children. Instead creator Kari Rust focuses on how a parental figure—a grandmother in this case—can work with children to understand how best to make amends for their errant behavior. These kids learn to look past the eccentric behavior of an elderly neighbor and learn to enjoy the humor and history of a man in the final chapter of life.

This is a delightful picture book that is in graphic-novel style in some page spreads. Told from the perspective of a young girl, she explains what happened when she, her brother Patrick, and their cousin Robert visited their Grandma’s house one summer. The three cousins went on a bike ride and wound up at what appeared to be an old abandoned house. But after snooping around a bit, they saw a GHOST! Ahhhhh! They run back home to their grandmother only to discover it wasn’t a ghost, but one of Grandma’s former teachers, Mr. Peterson. When Grandma takes them back to the house, they quickly discover that appearances can be very deceiving. Not only is Mr. Peterson not angry at them for trespassing, but he’s a delightful person and they decide to return to his home again and again. The story is a little bit sad at one point, but the ending is precious and hopeful.

I can’t wait to see the final format of the book because the artwork in the ARC is just wonderful. I loved looking at the finer details, like the decor and patterns in Grandma’s kitchen and living room, the odds and ends in Mr. Peterson’s basement and attic, and the various scenes of the house from the outside. I kept coming back through to find something I'd missed, previously.

My sincere thanks to Netgalley and Owlkids for giving me an ARC of this book so that I could provide an honest review.

This was a cute a quick read. Literally 10 mins Max. The graphics are great.

The story follows a group a young kids on summer vacation staying with their grandmother, who come across this old house in the woods, which they think is abandoned, but to their surprise isn't. The house belongs to the grandmother's old teacher. Long story short the kids get close to the old man visiting him all summer until one he's gone, put into a retirement home because his home is not safe and being condemned.

Two things! I know this is a children's book but the cover and title is so misleading. I thought it was a scary story, I mean that's the 1st thing one would assume with just the cover. And 2 the ending was random. It was missing so much more.

Overall it was a cute story.

Rating 3

"One summer, while exploring the town during their annual stay at Grandma’s house, two siblings and their cousin come across a creepy old house. The kids poke around, one of them causing mischief and tossing rocks at the window, until they glimpse a ghost through the glass! Later, Grandma reveals the house doesn’t belong to a ghost - just old Mr. Peterson.

After visiting again with better intentions, the kids discover Mr. Peterson’s great sense of humor and that his house is full of fascinating things: old toys, photographs, even a film projector. They become regular visitors, until one day, Mr. Peterson is gone: he has left for a retirement home, and his house sits empty. Using odds, ends, and gifts he gave them, the kids create mementos of Mr. Peterson’s home to give back to him.

Full of heart, this picture book incorporates graphic novel elements to tell a layered and moving story about an intergenerational friendship. It shows how appearances can be deceiving: sometimes the best adventure awaits where you least expect it."

A sweet summer tale with heart.

Three cousins staying with their grandmother for the summer think a nearby house is spooky. Their grandmother corrects them, and introduces them to the owner, her old school teacher, Mr. Peterson. When he gets sick and his old house is condemned, the kids decide to find a way to preserve the memories of the old house for Mr. Peterson.

I love a good intergenerational story. This one not only tackles the assumptions about an old rundown house (by the way, I love the way Mr. Peterson plays on their assumptions and teaches them a lesson), it also shows that old things and people can still have value. And that there are wonderful experiences to be had from intergenerational relationships. Both the kids and the adults get a lot out of their time together. It’s a charmingly illustrated, heartfelt story about a beautiful friendship and fun cousin experiences. Highly recommended.

<i>I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

The House at the End of the Road by Kari Rust is a picturebook currently scheduled for release on September 17 2019. One summer, while exploring the town during their annual stay at Grandma’s house, two siblings and their cousin come across a creepy old house. The kids poke around, one of them causing mischief and tossing rocks at the window, until they glimpse a ghost through the glass! Later, Grandma reveals the house doesn’t belong to a ghost—just old Mr. Peterson. After visiting again with better intentions, the kids discover Mr. Peterson’s great sense of humor and that his house is full of fascinating things: old toys, photographs, even a film projector. They become regular visitors, until one day, Mr. Peterson is gone: he has left for a retirement home, and his house sits empty. Using odds, ends, and gifts he gave them, the kids create mementos of Mr. Peterson’s home to give back to him.

The House at the End of the Road is a picturebook that will appeal to older readers as well as the younger set because of the topic and the graphic novel elements and feel. I thought the story was very realistic, and is something I could see happening very easily. I liked how the kid's behavior is as flawed as you might find in any kid. Making mistakes, but almost as quickly making amends and finding out how they were wrong. I like that the cousin was afraid of owning up to his mistakes, as even adults are at times, but still did the right thing- eventually. I think the full story arc teaches young readers, and adults, important lessons in taking the time to look past the appearance and taking the time to know people. Forging a friendship across generational lines, and not just learning about each other but taking steps to help and care for each other was very well written. I loved the art style, and think it added a great deal of atmosphere and emotion to the story.

The House at the End of the Road is a wonderful story that I hope inspires readers off all ages to reach out and make new friends across generational lines (safely of course) and to take a bit more time to look beyond the rumors and appearance to discover the truth. I hope it will also encourage readers to explore graphic novels further.

Rust's book is a wonderful picture book/graphic novel with a light heart-warming tale of not judging people based on first impressions. While some aspects of the book are not enjoyable in kindle format, I am sure it will look fantastic in physical book form.

Thank you NetGalley and OwlKids for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

There's an old house at the end of Grandma's road. When the two siblings and their cousin walk down, it looks vacant. When the cousin throws a rock at a window, they see a ghost looking at them. They tell Grandma about the ghost and she tells them that's just the old man who lives there.

Owlkids Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published September 17th.

Grandma goes with them and they visit the old man. His house is filled with a treasure trove of fun things for children. The attic has board games. There are books and old records. They have a good time visiting and often go back. But one day the house is put up for sale. He's sick and in a home and they will sell the house to pay for his care. Their summer is coming to an end but they will never forget that old man and the fun they had visiting...

I requested this thinking it was a novel. I did enjoy the story and will read it to my students. I am looking forward to seeing the actual text because I suspect the kindle version doesn't do the story justice.