Plot:

When Ben receives a mysterious invitation to the Gee Museum, he has to investigate. For some reason, the pictures on the invitation stir up memories of his long-lost father. But that wouldn’t make sense, as he’s been gone for so long. When Ben arrives at the museum, it’s old and run-down, and the posted hours indicate that it’s barely open. But when he steps inside, he walks into a world of talking animals, magic, and adventure. Will he be able to save the museum from a nefarious developer and the owner of the other museum in town? The animals from the museum seem to think it’s his destiny.

What I loved most:

If you crossed the fever-dream quality of Alice in Wonderland with the vivid imagery of The Chronicles of Narnia, you’d get The Hippo at the End of the Hall. Magic abounds in this adventure, in a way that would be absolutely entrancing to kids. This is also a highly illustrated book, and the beautiful sketches help bring the characters to life.

Read this book if you like:

Adventures, magic, long-lost families, stories of destiny

Book details:

• Author: Helen Cooper
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Date of Publication: October 8, 2019
• Age Recommendation: 4th – 6th graders
• Look up The Hippo at the End of the Hall on WorldCat to find it at a library near you!