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Sidekick Super Review: Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore (2026) by Diana Peterfreund
The Basics
Page Length: 304
Audiobook Length: ~7 hours
Grade Reading Level: 8+
Target Audience Age: 13+
Goodreads Score: 3.93 out of 5
Buy it HERE
Setting: Contemporary Baltimore, Maryland
Genre: Young Adult Supernatural Mystery
Topics: Ghosts, Edgar Allan Poe, Poetry, Treasure Hunt, Puzzles, Dreams, High School, Romance, Grief, Heritage
Plot: Ellen Poe Reynolds is your average sixteen-year-old girl—except she lives in a gothic, Edgar Allan Poe-themed bed and breakfast, and oh yeah, she can see dead people. Okay, so maybe her life is actually a little complicated. Her quirky family believes they are direct descendants of Edgar Allan Poe, so their obsession with him is a little...weird. Ellen has been trained and taught the famous poet's entire history since birth. Her dad is also a compulsive gambler, and after they lose their house, Ellen moves in with her aunt at her struggling Poe-themed bed and breakfast while her dad is away trying to earn enough money for them to move into a new home. This isn't exactly easy for Ellen, especially since she attends a prep school filled with rich kids. And on top of all that, Ellen has been haunted in her dreams by spooky spirits.
One new rich kid, Gus, has been giving Ellen a particularly hard time. When he shows up at school, Ellen immediately recognizes him as one of the terrifying ghosts from her dreams. Then, when she discovers a previously unknown journal belonging to Edgar Allan Poe at the bed and breakfast, she starts being haunted by another ghost—"Eddy," as he apparently likes to be called, himself. Eventually, the journal leads Ellen and Gus on a strange quest. It's filled with codes that lead them to a series of other clues, and before long, a secret group of Poe superfans takes notice.
What kind of hunt have Ellen and Gus gotten themselves into? What is the explanation behind Ellen's recent "hauntings"? What are the ghosts trying to tell her? And will Ellen be able to save her family from financial ruin?
Themes: Identity, escaping vs. embracing family legacy, belonging and connection, power of literature, friendship and trust
You might like this book if you like:
Gothic vibes
Edgar Allan Poe and poetry
Family history/lore/genealogy
Escape rooms/puzzles/historic sites
Books like: The Inheritance Games, The Agathas, The Name of This Book Is Secret, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Shows like: Wednesday, Locke and Key, Dead Boy Detectives, Supernatural, A Series of Unfortunate Events (also books)
Movies like: Enola Holmes, National Treasure, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, The Addams Family
Other books written by this author: For Darkness Shows the Stars, Rampant, Secret Society Girl
Teaching Ellen Poe in Class
Content
Language: Very little
Sex/Romance: This book contains a slow burn crush between the two main characters. They share a kiss, but that's it.
Violence/Scariness: This book contains some ghosts/paranormal activity. There is a scene of an attempted murder, but nothing graphic. None of the content would be considered truly scary or horrific, just a little spooky.
Drinking/Smoking/Drugs: None, although Edgar Allan Poe's drinking/drug use is discussed.
Class Novel-ability:
I don't think this novel would be the best choice for a full-class read. The ghosts and spooky elements might not appeal to every student. However, the background information about Edgar Allan Poe is fascinating, and the puzzle-solving mystery is a lot of fun. It could make an excellent book club pick, and it's definitely a great choice for a fun read for your mystery-loving students!
The Star Qualities
The historical aspect of this novel is amazing! I LOVED learning all about Edgar Allan Poe. I learned so much about him, and his life is honestly crazy, fascinating, and sad. I loved getting to hear about all of it. I also enjoyed learning about the history of Baltimore and Poe's fandom there. He has some seriously dedicated superfans, and they have done some pretty wacky things to honor him! The author's note at the end even mentions that there are more details included in the novel that ARE historically true than those that aren't. Kind of awesome! The fictional story is entertaining and fun, and the history is equally fascinating. That combination makes this a great choice for student readers, and it would be a really fun book to include in your next Edgar Allan Poe unit.
There's already a sequel! I haven't gotten my hands on it yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to it. This book ends on a serious cliffhanger, and I have a TON of questions that need answers. Ellen Poe for Evermore is officially on my immediate TBR list!
I love the vibe of this book. The gothic bed-and-breakfast aesthetic and dark Baltimore setting mixed with National Treasure-style clue hunting is such a fun combination. I also enjoyed the slight slow-burn romance between the teen characters. It was refreshingly appropriate—nothing graphic, no foul language, and no drinking. It's clean, intriguing, and feels fresh. Definitely worth a read!
Book Talk Read Aloud Section
If you have the physical book, read 11-13 (through paragraph 3 "I say yes.")
If you don't, read the same pages in the reading sample here.
"Reading Like a Writer" Mentor Texts
I love the way this passage is formatted! The listing structure gives readers a clear look into the narrator’s thought process while allowing the author to weave in exposition and information in an engaging way. It also builds anticipation as readers move from one step to the next. I think this is a great structure for students to experiment with in their creative writing, but it could also work well in other genres, including more informational writing!
This passage is such a great example of using sensory details to bring a setting to life! The author appeals to four of the five senses, allowing readers to see, smell, feel, and hear the environment around the narrator. (The only thing missing is taste!) All these details work together to create a vivid picture of the setting in the reader’s mind. This would be a great mentor text for helping students practice incorporating sensory details into their own writing!
This is a short little nugget, but it’s packed with so many cool craft moves! I love how the author uses repetition, dashes, interruptions, paragraph breaks, and italics to build suspense and create a dramatic reveal. This would be an excellent passage to use as a mentor text to help students experiment with these techniques and create a dramatic reveal of their own!
Sentences for Combining and Imitation
Sentence sets for combining:
"She bought me chicken nuggets shaped like dinosaurs and thought I needed little star stickers to encourage me to finish my schoolwork and brush my teeth." (Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore, p. 10)
She bought me chicken nuggets.
The chicken nuggets are shaped like dinosaurs.
She thought I needed little star stickers to encourage me.
She thought they would encourage me to finish my schoolwork.
She thought they would encourage me to brush my teeth.
"Outside, the sun glinted on the damp cobblestone streets, the air smelled like the harbor, and the very idea of ghosts–in dreams or otherwise seemed kind of silly." (p. 13)
Outside, the sun glinted on the streets.
The streets were damp, cobblestones.
The air smelled like the harbor.
The very idea of ghosts seemed kind of silly.
Ghosts in dreams, or otherwise seemed silly.
"The kitchen has large windows that let in a lot of morning light, though some of them are blocked by stacks of crates filled with decades’ worth of what Aunt Marie calls history–and what any rational person would call junk." (p. 3)
The kitchen has large windows.
The windows let in a lot of morning light.
Some of the windows are blocked by stacks of crates.
The crates are filled with decades worth of what Aunt Marie calls history.
Any rational person would call it junk.
Sentences for Imitation:
I love the way the author's use of punctuation and italics adds voice! It fills the writing with personality and joy. Here are a few examples below. Such simple ways for students to spice up their own writing samples.
"I felt–dare I say it? Normal." (p. 250)
"Not that I’d realized that was what we were going to do. Not that I ever–ever–planned to do it again." (p. 197)
"I would like to state, for the record, that what happened next was not my idea." (p. 87)
"Which meant one of two things: Either I was in possession of a previously unpublished work of poetry by Edgar Allan Poe, and thus a millionaire, or . . . the journal was garbage, “Eddy” was a hallucination, and I was about to be homeless–for real this time." (p. 78)
Used this book in your classroom? Tell us how in the comments!
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