The Books of Elsewhere #2: Spellbound by Jacqueline West

Since getting rid of the McMartins in book one, Olive wants to find a way to free Morton from being stuck inside the paintings. She can't magically enter them anymore by herself after breaking the spectacles, so she must get help from one of the cats. A boy next door says the McMartins probably had a grimoire, or spell book, and Olive becomes obsessed with finding it. She wants to look under the trap door in her basement, but the cat guarding it won't let her, for her own good. However, Olive conjures a spell to get past him, and she finds Mr. McMartin's spectacles. She says she's just using the book to help, but the cats believe the book is using her. Olive won't go anywhere without the spell book, and something is slowly taking over her life.

You should read book one first. It's entitled The Shadows. This book added a little more conflict as Olive separated herself from everyone trying to help her. The neighbors became more involved in the plot, and the identity of one neighbor was a surprise. The author did a nice job of describing Olive's internal conflicts; voices in her head encouraged her to make dangerous choices. The cats are important characters, but they add a humorous element to the plot. In this book, Harvey, one of the cats, believes he's a secret spy, paints himself green as a disguise, and calls himself Agent 1-800. If you enjoyed the first book in the series, you'll like this continuation of Olive's conflict with the McMartin family.