Small Spaces
(Libby/OverDrive eAudiobook)

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Average Rating
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Series
Published
Books on Tape , 2018.
Status
Available from Libby/OverDrive

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Libby/OverDrive
Titles may be read via Libby/OverDrive. Libby/OverDrive is a free app that allows users to borrow and read digital media from their local library, including ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. Users can access Libby/OverDrive through the Libby/OverDrive app or online. The app is available for Android and iOS devices.

Description

New York Times bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic. Now in paperback.After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man"—a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Best get moving. At nightfall they'll come for the rest of you." Nightfall is, indeed, fast descending when Ollie's previously broken digital wristwatch begins a startling countdown and delivers a terrifying message: RUN. Only Ollie and two of her classmates heed these warnings. As the trio head out into the woods—bordered by a field of scarecrows that seem to be watching them—the bus driver has just one final piece of advice for Ollie and her friends: "Avoid large places. Keep to small." And with that, a deliciously creepy and hair-raising adventure begins.

More Details

Format
eAudiobook
Edition
Unabridged
Street Date
09/25/2018
Language
English
ISBN
9780525638780

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Also in this Series

  • Small spaces (Small spaces quartet Volume 1) Cover
  • Dead voices (Small spaces quartet Volume 2) Cover
  • Dark waters (Small spaces quartet Volume 3) Cover
  • Empty smiles (Small spaces quartet Volume 4) Cover

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Similar Series From Novelist

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for series you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
While one series consists of novels (Small Spaces) and the other short stories (Scary Stories), both give readers atmospheric and scary horror tales with characters fighting for survival. -- Yaika Sabat
In these scary horror series, courageous young protagonists find themselves tangling with dangerous ghosts while also dealing with grief and navigating friendships. The settings are atmospheric and lightly magical while grounded in the real world. -- Tirzah Price
These series have the appeal factors scary, and they have the genres "horror" and "ghost stories"; and the subjects "supernatural," "ghosts," and "haunted houses."
These series have the appeal factors scary, moving, and atmospheric, and they have the genres "horror" and "ghost stories"; and the subjects "survival," "friendship," and "supernatural."
These series have the appeal factors scary and suspenseful, and they have the theme "small town horror"; the genre "horror"; and the subjects "friendship," "best friends," and "monsters."
These series have the appeal factors scary, and they have the genres "horror" and "ghost stories"; and the subjects "supernatural," "paranormal phenomena," and "ghosts."
These series have the appeal factors scary and suspenseful, and they have the genres "horror" and "ghost stories."
These series have the appeal factors scary, and they have the theme "trapped!"; the genres "horror" and "ghost stories"; and the subjects "supernatural," "haunted houses," and "escapes."
These series have the appeal factors scary and suspenseful, and they have the genres "horror" and "ghost stories"; and the subject "monsters."

Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
In these atmospheric and suspenseful horror stories, tweens discover a supernatural evil after getting stranded during a family vacation (Shadow Grave) and a class field trip (Small Spaces). -- CJ Connor
Friends must band together to face supernatural happenings in these atmospheric scary stories. In Small Spaces, the scarier of the two, schoolmates must survive scarecrows come to life; in Doll Bones, best friends journey to bury a haunted doll. -- NoveList Contributor
A mysterious old book kicks off an eerie chain of events in each of these suspenseful, atmospheric stories. Long Lost features a mystery, while Small Spaces offers more scares. -- Rebecca Honeycutt
These bleak, atmospheric scary stories use creepy settings to build tension as children face ghost stories turned to life. Small Spaces stands alone, while Riverman kicks off a series. -- NoveList Contributor
Grieving tweens face menacing ghosts in these eerie, character-driven stories. Spaces is scarier than Bright, but readers who gravitate towards courageous, complex characters will enjoy both. -- NoveList Contributor
Mysterious creatures (a tentacled beast in Nightmare in the Backyard and ghostly scarecrows in Small Spaces) threaten a group of tweens who must fight to survive the night in these suspenseful and atmospheric horror stories. -- Stephen Ashley
Fans of suspenseful, atmospheric horror will enjoy these spooky stories centered on ominous smiling ghosts. Hazel (It Found Us) searches for her brother's missing best friend, while Ollie (Small Spaces) must journey through the woods after her bus breaks down. -- Stephen Ashley
These suspenseful horror books are both set in rural areas and involve young girls mourning the loss of a parent who must confront and escape a scary and notorious ghostly entity. -- Tirzah Price
Young fans of ghost stories will be delightfully spooked by these scary and atmospheric tales in which children face cursed places guarded by a creepy, ghostly man. -- Angela Davis
Both of these scary ghost stories for children tell a chilling tale of the past haunting the present. A woman with a cursed book exhorts Ollie to seek Small Spaces; modern girl and ghost communicate in Locked Room. -- Angela Davis
These creepy horror fantasies led by well-developed characters feature immersive atmospheres, suspenseful adventures, and genuinely frightening supernatural villains. Both stories are as attentive to emotional landscapes as they are to scares, yielding novels that are equal parts spooky and touching. -- Isabel Crevasse
Small Spaces, a horror novel, may be scarier than The Lost Library, a mystery, but they have ghostly characters and an atmospheric quality in common. In both novels, small-town tweens encounter startling books whose strangeness seeps into their daily lives. -- Basia Wilson

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Katherine Arden and Juliet Marillier write historical fantasy featuring strong female characters, lush descriptions, and subtle, nuanced romances. Though the settings are different (Russia for Arden, Great Britain for Marillier), both authors examine the effects Christianity had on pagan religions. -- Halle Carlson
Older kids who love frightening tales will devour the suspenseful horror books by these authors in which tweens are trapped with supernatural monsters and must work together to survive. -- CJ Connor
These authors' works are world-building, and they have the genres "horror" and "epic fantasy"; and the subjects "good and evil" and "political intrigue."
These authors' works are creepy and spare, and they have the genre "horror"; and the subjects "good and evil," "supernatural," and "vampires."

Published Reviews

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Things were already pretty spooky for Ollie after she rescued an antique book from a weeping, maniacal woman, but when the bus taking her and her classmates home from a school trip to a farm stalls in a dense bank of fog next to a field peppered with creepy scarecrows, it's clear something otherworldly is going on. Heeding the advice appearing in her late mother's digital watch RUN Ollie and a couple of classmates, Jamaican-born Brian and sensitive Coco, escape to the woods, trying to avoid the terrifying, animated scarecrows and find their way back to the farm, which has an eerie connection to the book, a story about a smiling man who makes deadly bargains. In spare, pithy, and evocative language, Arden skillfully cultivates a vivid sense of atmosphere, from Ollie's cozy, welcoming house to the creeping dread of the kids' journey through the ominous, clattering forest. There are genuinely creepy elements here scarecrows in relentless pursuit, ghostly beings lurking in abandoned houses, and a truly surprising villain at the center of it all but Arden doesn't skimp on character development either. Prickly Ollie, who's dealing with the grief of losing her mother, softens toward Brian and Coco, who are each gradually rounded out as well. With a tantalizing pace and palpable suspense, all nicely grounded in realistic emotions, this well-wrought spine-tingler is destined to be a hit (just makes sure the lights stay on).--Sarah Hunter Copyright 2018 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Eleven-year-old Ollie lives with her big-hearted baking enthusiast father following the tragic death of her mother, and finds respite from her grief through reading. Her circumstances take a supernatural turn when she encounters a frightening woman attempting to throw a book into the river. When Ollie, drawn to the book, takes it, the woman warns Ollie to "avoid large places at night... keep to small." In its pages, Ollie reads of a long-ago family whose losses led them to make a dreadful pact with a demonic figure known as "the smiling man." And on a class trip to a dairy farm, Ollie and two classmates-with whom she forms a reluctant connection-learn that the smiling man is very real. Arden (The Bear and the Nightingale) shrouds her Halloween-time story in autumnal mists, introducing a sometimes-crowded cast of ominous figures, from ghosts to shapeshifters and scarecrow minions. Ollie is a relatable heroine who finds strength through trusting in friendship, while her ghostly adventures lead her to learn an important truth: sometimes, the best way to honor the memory of a loved one is by moving forward, bravely, and with love. Ages 10-up. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Associates. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-8-After experiencing a terrible loss, Ollie doesn't care about math and softball anymore. She just wants to crawl into a book and ignore everything around her. Which is why when she runs into a woman crying and about to throw a book into the creek, Ollie jumps into action and saves it! The book, Small Spaces, is about a woman named Beth, the Webster brothers who wanted to marry her, and the disappearance of one of the brothers after he makes a horrible bargain with the smiling man. Ollie's fascinated, especially the next day when her class visits a farm and the crying woman is the farm's owner. Ollie also sees the Websters' headstones at the farm cemetery! Is the story real? And why would the bus driver tell her to avoid large spaces and keep to small ones at night? When the bus breaks down and it starts to get dark, Ollie must decide whether to listen to her teacher, her peers, the bus driver, or her broken watch which is now telling her to run. Renee Dorian's pacing and inflection sets the mood and keeps the story moving. VERDICT This is a must-have for all libraries because of the authentic and multidimensional characters and the satisfying mystery. It is an excellent audio choice for students who enjoy creepy tales.-Mariela Siegert, Westfield Middle School, Bloomingdale, IL © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Horn Book Review

Adult author Ardens first book for middle-graders is an original, super-scary tale set in contemporary rural Vermont. Sixth grader Ollie is still reeling from the death of her beloved mother. When she has a strange encounter with a distressed woman and retrieves the book the woman is trying to discard, Ollie finds herself captivated by its tale of two brothers; Beth, the woman they love; and a sinister smiling man. On a school field trip the next day, a series of eerie mishaps strands Ollie and a busload of her classmates near a farm exactly like the one in the book. Only two other studentssensitive Coco and popular Brianbelieve her when she insists they are all in danger. Ollie knows that the smiling mans army of once-human scarecrows can attack them if theyre found out in the open (she has been told to stick to small spaces), and the entire class is doomed to be the victims of an age-old bargain unless Ollie, Coco, and Brian can save them. Over the course of their adventure, the three help one another to overcome their fears and to learn to trust. Ardens child characters display a mix of wisdom and immaturity, making them both likable and believable. The terrifying scarecrows and the tragic tale of Beth and the brothers make this supernatural thriller a page-turner, but its Ollies journey through grief and into friendship that makes it memorable. sarah berman (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

A girl steals a book and is swept up in its eerie origins. It's October in East Evansburg, Vermont, and Olivia "Ollie" Adler finds herself distracted from her sixth-grade lessons. She's reeling from the pain of her mother's absence, but she'd rather bottle it up than talk about it. Instead, Ollie escapes into books and reads them at her secret swimming hole. One day, a strange woman attempts to cast a book titled Small Spaces into the water. Ollie steals the book and is given a warning: "Avoid large places at night.Keep to small." Soon she is wrapped up in the book's haunting story of loss and a deal made with a being known as "the smiling man." A class field trip to Misty Valley Farm reveals the truth behind Small Spaces. Can Ollie save her classmates from the smiling man? Or will she, too, succumb to the lure of one of his bargains? The characters are sharply drawn, particularly Ollie and her quirky, bighearted father; one secondary character, black, Jamaican-born Brian, stands out in their mostly white community. The slow reveal of Ollie's trauma is achingly poignant (her mother's death isn't confirmed until nearly halfway through the book). Some elements seem less plausible than others (her teacher leaving kids alone with a creepy bus driver, for instance), but novelist for adults Arden's (The Bear and the Nightingale, 2017) middle-grade debut is atmospheric horror at its best. Chillingly tender. (Horror. 8-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Things were already pretty spooky for Ollie after she rescued an antique book from a weeping, maniacal woman, but when the bus taking her and her classmates home from a school trip to a farm stalls in a dense bank of fog next to a field peppered with creepy scarecrows, it's clear something otherworldly is going on. Heeding the advice appearing in her late mother's digital watch—"RUN"—Ollie and a couple of classmates, Jamaican-born Brian and sensitive Coco, escape to the woods, trying to avoid the terrifying, animated scarecrows and find their way back to the farm, which has an eerie connection to the book, a story about a smiling man who makes deadly bargains. In spare, pithy, and evocative language, Arden skillfully cultivates a vivid sense of atmosphere, from Ollie's cozy, welcoming house to the creeping dread of the kids' journey through the ominous, clattering forest. There are genuinely creepy elements here—scarecrows in relentless pursuit, ghostly beings lurking in abandoned houses, and a truly surprising villain at the center of it all—but Arden doesn't skimp on character development either. Prickly Ollie, who's dealing with the grief of losing her mother, softens toward Brian and Coco, who are each gradually rounded out as well. With a tantalizing pace and palpable suspense, all nicely grounded in realistic emotions, this well-wrought spine-tingler is destined to be a hit (just makes sure the lights stay on). Grades 5-8. Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2018 Booklist Reviews.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Eleven-year-old Ollie lives with her big-hearted baking enthusiast father following the tragic death of her mother, and finds respite from her grief through reading. Her circumstances take a supernatural turn when she encounters a frightening woman attempting to throw a book into the river. When Ollie, drawn to the book, takes it, the woman warns Ollie to "avoid large places at night... keep to small." In its pages, Ollie reads of a long-ago family whose losses led them to make a dreadful pact with a demonic figure known as "the smiling man." And on a class trip to a dairy farm, Ollie and two classmates—with whom she forms a reluctant connection—learn that the smiling man is very real. Arden (The Bear and the Nightingale) shrouds her Halloween-time story in autumnal mists, introducing a sometimes-crowded cast of ominous figures, from ghosts to shapeshifters and scarecrow minions. Ollie is a relatable heroine who finds strength through trusting in friendship, while her ghostly adventures lead her to learn an important truth: sometimes, the best way to honor the memory of a loved one is by moving forward, bravely, and with love. Ages 10–up. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Associates. (Sept.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly.

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly.
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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Arden, K., & Dorian, R. (2018). Small Spaces (Unabridged). Books on Tape.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Arden, Katherine and Renee Dorian. 2018. Small Spaces. Books on Tape.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Arden, Katherine and Renee Dorian. Small Spaces Books on Tape, 2018.

Harvard Citation (style guide)

Arden, K. and Dorian, R. (2018). Small spaces. Unabridged Books on Tape.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Arden, Katherine, and Renee Dorian. Small Spaces Unabridged, Books on Tape, 2018.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

Copy Details

CollectionOwnedAvailableNumber of Holds
Libby110

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