Ellen Potter also wrote
Slob, Olivia Kidney
series, Pish Posh and
Spilling Ink
By, Sadie Donnelly
The Humming Room Genre
The Humming Room is a fictional story. A fiction book is a story made-up by the author. It is not real or true.
The author wrote this book to be a modern day version of “The Secret Garden”. This story also uses mystery and fantasy
genres. These are the genres of The Humming Room.
I know that fiction is the genre of this story because in the story there is a boy [that is not Roo’s
brother] living in her basement. Everyday, Roo hears strange humming and crying noises and she is
determined to find out where the sounds are coming from. It turns out to be a mysterious boy named Phillip.
He has pale skin and has dark circles under his eyes. He is small, spoiled and skinny. Roo and Phillip have
similar characteristics and later in the story we find out that the two are related.
Another reason this is a fiction story is because there is a boy who has no parents and was born
on the river. Common people call him the Fainge . Roo calls him Jack [his real name]. Hardly anyone has
ever gotten close to him or spoken to him. Many thought he was a ghost. He has blonde hair that is in a
pony tail. He has a canoe that is made out of wood. The canoe can fit two people. One day, Roo went on a
canoe ride with Jack. It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
The Humming Room Setting
The story begins in a tiny village named Limpette. Limpette is so small that there are no
road signs to get there. Basically, if you go past Ostrander’s Goat Farm you need to turn around.
Unfortunately, Roo will not stay in Limpette very long. Her parents are murdered and she moves
in with her rich uncle.
Most of the story takes place on Cough Rock Island . That is where her uncle lives in a
huge mansion. This mansion was once a hospital for children of the rich. This home is overloaded
with mysteries and secrets. For instance, there is a boy named Phillip living in the basement.
There is also a strange boy living on the river. Finally, there is even a garden that is full of dried up
tropical plants. I had a hard time putting this book down.
The Humming Room Summary
The Humming Room, is a mysterious book about a small girl named Roo Fanshaw who lives
in Limpette. She had bushy brown hair that often covers her light green eyes. Roo is very quiet. This
girl loves to hide in small tight places. When her parents are murdered, it is her special hiding spot
under the trailer that saves her life.
After her parents death, Roo finds out that she has a wealthy Uncle. He agrees to bring Roo
into his home on Cough Rock Island. Roos’ Uncle’s house used to be a hospital for children of the rich.
This place is towering with ghost stories and secrets. Roo does not believe in these things but what are
those noises she is hearing? Roo learns a lot from her uncle and her new friend Jack .Together, they
solve the mystery of the noises and the garden.
The Humming Room Recommendation
The Humming Room was a fantastic book! I give it a two thumbs up. This book was
filled with adventure and mystery. It kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were
mysterious with lots of secrets. There was even a strange garden with a devastating past.
I recommend this book to kids that like the book ”The Secret Garden”. This book is
a modern version of “The Secret Garden.” I think a girl might prefer this book more so than a boy.
This is a great book for a 4th grader because Roo is around that age and the author used lots 4th
grade vocabulary words. In addition, I think a girl that likes fiction or mystery books would love
this book.