THE EMPRESS OF ELSEWHERE By Theresa Nelson

Mrs. Monroe and her old, spooky mansion have always been the topic of Jim and his best friend Danny’s ghost stories. It had always captivated their imagination but they never had the guts to go over and check it out. On what Jim describes to be the saddest day of his life, he and his little sister, Mary Al, are forced to face Mrs. Monroe, her horrible granddaughter, and their butler who has no tongue. Why? It was all because Mrs. Monroe’s pet monkey was let out by a couple of girls who were “paid” to play with her granddaughter, J.D. Amidst the confusion, the girls ran off leaving Jim and Mary Al standing alone by the monkey who was perched in a nearby tree. My favorite part comes when Mary Al’s swift thinking enables her to coax the little fur ball down into her arms. Jim then has to face his fears when he journeys through the creaky, iron gate and up to the grand front door in attempt to return the monkey. Little did he know, he would be seeing a lot more of the three intriguing people and befriending more than one of them. As Jim takes you on this rollercoaster story, he also discovers the real reason for Mrs. Monroe’s strange behavior and the true meaning of friendship.