When the Grace children go to stay at their Great Aunt Lucinda's worn Victorian house, they discover a field guide to fairies and other creatures and begin to have some unusual experiences.

Sequel: The seeing stone.

In which the Grace children get acquainted with their new home -- In which two walls are explored by vastly different methods -- In which there are many riddles -- In which there are answers, although not necessarily to the right questions -- In which Jared reads a book and sets a trap -- In which they find unexpected things in the icebox -- In which the fate of the mice is discovered.