The arrival of a mysterious new neighbor inspires a kid to write her own poetry in this humorous and unforgettable new middle-grade novel by award-winning author Cary Fagan.
Andie Gladman is your typical kid — she lives in a small town, doesn't have many friends and quietly puts up with taunts from the school bully, Myrtle Klinghoffer. But one day, a new neighbor moves into the house next to Andie's family . . . and he looks awfully familiar. Could he be famous author Hans Christian Andersen? Andie sure thinks so, and the arrival of this well-known writer inspires Andie to write her own poems (with a feminist twist) based on his classic fairy tales. Her newfound hobby leads her to make a friend and finally feel some excitement about her previously quiet life . . . but will a shocking revelation change everything for Andie?
SHORTLIST
| 2025 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award
"Andie [is] a born storyteller. . . . Chelsea O’Byrne’s drawings, delicate and folksy, help bring the characters out of the narrative shadows." —New York Times
"[A] funny and thought-provoking middle-grade novel about the power of stories — especially the ones we tell ourselves." —Quill & Quire
"Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door makes a good choice for newly independent readers and fairy tale aficionados." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials
The arrival of a mysterious new neighbor inspires a kid to write her own poetry in this humorous and unforgettable new middle-grade novel by award-winning author Cary Fagan.
Andie Gladman is your typical kid — she lives in a small town, doesn't have many friends and quietly puts up with taunts from the school bully, Myrtle Klinghoffer. But one day, a new neighbor moves into the house next to Andie's family . . . and he looks awfully familiar. Could he be famous author Hans Christian Andersen? Andie sure thinks so, and the arrival of this well-known writer inspires Andie to write her own poems (with a feminist twist) based on his classic fairy tales. Her newfound hobby leads her to make a friend and finally feel some excitement about her previously quiet life . . . but will a shocking revelation change everything for Andie?
Awards
SHORTLIST
| 2025 Hackmatack Children’s Choice Book Award
Praise
"Andie [is] a born storyteller. . . . Chelsea O’Byrne’s drawings, delicate and folksy, help bring the characters out of the narrative shadows." —New York Times
"[A] funny and thought-provoking middle-grade novel about the power of stories — especially the ones we tell ourselves." —Quill & Quire
"Hans Christian Andersen Lives Next Door makes a good choice for newly independent readers and fairy tale aficionados." —CM: Canadian Review of Materials
