- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 6–9
- Mystery
Lila Greer and the Shrieking Shadow
Book 7 of 7 in The QuestioneersView the full series
The seventh Questioneers chapter book stars Lila Greer, a mystery-loving girl who faces her fears when a shrieking shadow and an art-gallery break-in send the Questioneers detecting through a stormy night. A gently spooky story about conquering anxiety.
- Best for6–9
- FormatIllustrated
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Warm
- Suspenseful
- Funny
- Inspirational
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Lila Greer has always loved mysteries—even the ones that scare her. So when a spooky storm blows into Blue River Creek and a strange, shrieking shadow jolts her awake, she's frightened but far too curious to look away. In the morning comes worse news: someone has broken into Iggy's parents' art gallery and stolen all the paintings meant for a big new exhibit. If the missing works aren't found before opening night, the gallery might close for good. Now Lila and the Questioneers must use their detective skills—and Lila must face her own anxiety—to track down the thief and solve the mystery of the shrieking shadow. From the bestselling team of Andrea Beaty and David Roberts, this seventh illustrated chapter book puts a nervous, badminton-loving, knitting-mad heroine centre stage and shows that being brave means doing the thing that scares you anyway. David Roberts's atmospheric illustrations turn a stormy night into a gently thrilling, ultimately reassuring adventure.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best for 6–9s reading independently, with short chapters and rich illustrations for growing readers. Gently spooky rather than scary, it reads aloud from about 5; very bedtime-sensitive or anxious children may prefer daytime reading, though its message about facing fears is reassuring.
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- Best fit · 6–9
- Read aloud · 5–8
- Independent · 6–9
Prose load
Light
Visual support
High
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery.
Bedtime suitability
2 / 5 · Better outside bedtime
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Gentle mysteries
- Anxiety and worry
- Spooky not scary
- First chapter books
Avoid if
- Nightmares or fears
- Wants gentle bedtime
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Nightmares or fears
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
A shrieking shadow in a midnight storm and a stolen-paintings caper make for a proper detective adventure. Kids root for Lila, who's scared but goes looking for clues anyway—proof you can love mysteries even when they give you the shivers.
- Being a detective
- The underdog winning
- Friendship and belonging
- Adventure and freedom
Why parents love it
Lila models real courage—feeling the fear and acting anyway—which makes this a lovely read for anxious children. The mystery is gently spooky and always resolved, and David Roberts's illustrations keep a stormy night warm rather than frightening.
- Conversation starter
- Educational for adult too
In the series
The Questioneers.
7 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
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Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
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