If you're anything like us, when you see that shiny Newbery Honor sticker on the front cover of a book, you just know it's going to be an enthralling, deliciously well-written book. And for fans of creepy, fantastical tales, Laura Amy Schlitz's 2012 Splendors and Glooms majorly delivers, taking readers on a journey through 19th-century London, where everything is covered in a dense fog and evil magicians lurk in the streets.

At the center of the story are three plucky children—Clara Wintermute, Lizzie Rose Fawr, and Parsefall Hooke. They seem to come from entirely different worlds, but they all have one thing in common: They've suffered loss and death in their young lives, and this has made them harder (and braver) than a lot of other children their age.

When the evil magician Grisini turns Clara Wintermute into a puppet in order to hold her hostage for ransom, his apprentices Lizzie Rose and Parsefall suspect him right away—and decide they can't just let this horrible thing happen to another kid, even if they're terrified that Grisini will turn his dark magic on them.

Even though a lot of the storyline is bleak (the magic-wielding adults are rather horrid), there's still that sense of magic and wonder that is reminiscent of the Harry Potter and Narnia series. This is definitely the kind of read that transports readers to a fantastical and super strange world.

Splendors and Glooms is the perfect book to read on a stormy night in an old, creaky building. Grisini may frighten you into hiding under the covers, but with heroes and heroines like Clara, Lizzie Rose, and Parsefall, you won't be terrified for long. So cozy up in front of a roaring fire, whip up a mug of hot chocolate, and crack open this book. You'll soon find yourself sucked into a chilling and magical tale.

Who doesn't love the idea of people overcoming adversity no matter how many annoying and terrible obstacles stand in their way? The three main characters in Splendors and Glooms—Clara Wintermute, Lizzie Rose Fawr, and Parsefall Hooke—are all children who are in dire need of some saving. So, get ready to root for some underdogs.

Clara Wintermute's four siblings are all dead, plus she ends up getting kidnapped by the evil magician Grisini, who turns her into a puppet. Lizzie Rose and Parsefall are both poor orphans who often go hungry and are compelled to do whatever Grisini wishes because he'll kill them if they don't. All three of them get sucked into a tangled web of greed and power when Grisini's old mentor—Cassandra Sagredo—summons them to her home in order to pawn off the cursed phoenix-stone on one of the children.

Despite all of the things working against them, the children never give into despair or evil. Instead, they work hard to fight against Grisini and Cassandra's wishes—even though these are two terrifying adults who both have a lot of magical power. In the end, the children win and prove that goodness can overcome evil. How can you not get behind a story with that kind of satisfying resolution?