Spooky Middle Grades Pick: The Gathering (Shadow House, Book 1)

The Gathering
Shadow House, Book 1
By  Dan Poblocki
Scholastic
2016
224  pages  (with some illustrations)
Available August 30, 2016

"Shadow House has everything I love--strange characters, magic and the supernatural, endless danger and adventure--and a mystery I dare any reader to try to solve. I can't wait to read the whole series!"--R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps (from the ARC mailing)


Creeptastic! Suspense driven and utterly entertaining, The Gathering (Book 1) will leave young readers breathless! The Gathering (Shadow House, book 1) is the best middle grades read I've read in a long time!

 "Enter Shadow House, if you dare"...beware who you trust and try to remember the way you passed, but that won't be enough. In Shadow House, passages change, doors appear and disappear, strange children threaten from the shadows. Something bad has happened here and for the new kids, they have to solve the mystery in order to free themselves from the hold the house has over them.

Strangers orphan Poppy, twin child actors Dylan and Dash, musical prodigy Marcus, and shy girl Azumi meet at the abandoned edifice of Shadow House, each being summoned there for different reasons. Poppy thinks she's meeting her great aunt Delphina who will give Poppy a "forever home." Marcus thinks he's accepted into an exclusive music program. Dylan and Dash think they're set to star in a new series and Azumi wants to escape the Pacific Northwest, her sister's strange disappearance,  and attend an East coast boarding school. The children enter the stone building and are intrigued by its vast grandeur but mystified by the look of the place. It looks abandoned--as if lost in time. The furnishings, paintings, and even some paperwork in an office look to be decades old.

As the kids begin to investigate, they split up (never a bright idea!) I guess these children have never seen a scary movie or read a scary book. As they are separated, each encounters a strange child in an animal mask. The apparitions begin to threaten them. The kids are going to have to work together if they expect to survive Shadow House!

Wildly imaginative and spooky, readers may have to sleep with the lights on!

There is a FREE app in the works for  phones or tablets at Shadow House. Create a username and password and log in. you can read ghost stories, "...where the choices you make determine your fate."

This is a Scholastic book, so I am sure it will be a huge seller at back to school and fall book fairs. Keep your eyes open, books 2 and 3 are scheduled for January 2017 and September 2017 respectively.

Highly, highly recommended grade 3-up. Perfect for tween and middle grade readers. Reluctant readers will devour this series.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Ghostly Pick: The Watcher in the Shadows

The Watcher in the Shadows
by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Little, Brown and Company
2013
262 pages

See what the author says about his young adult books

Master storyteller Carlos Ruiz Zafon (The Shadow of the Wind, The Prince of Mist) has done it again! The Watcher in the Shadows is that rare and beautiful book that will captivate young readers. It has all the elements a reader craves: a dark mystery, an eccentric inventor who lives in a strange mansion--Cravenmoore--so aptly named--it's a dark name, a gothic name. The mansion is full of whimsical inventions but some are truly terrifying. The setting: the rugged coast of Normandy. The characters: Irene Sauville, a fourteen year old girl who moves to Normandy with her widowed mother and younger brother Dorian. Irene's mother, Simone takes the position of manager of Cravenmoore for the strange and quirky inventor Lazarus Jann (even the name Lazarus is creepy--in the Bible, Lazarus rose from the dead).

Irene meets a local boy named Ismael who shows her the town and takes her sailing. They are smitten with one another and soon are inseparable. Lazarus tells young Dorian a strange story of a man who makes a deal with the devil, so to speak. The man and his shadow are separated and his shadow runs rampant on a murdering spree. The shadow is a doppelganger (a copy) of the man. Dorian likes spending time with the strange inventor even though some of his automatons (robots) scare him.

When a murder occurs near Cravenmoore, villagers begin to spread rumors. Ismael and Irene  investigate and soon find danger everywhere they turn. The kids will need to act fast if they want to save their own lives and Irene's mother and brother. What evil invention has Lazarus brought to life? And why is it intent on killing them? What is the strange fascination Lazarus has for Simone? What secrets are hidden in the secret rooms of Cravenmoore?

Richly imagined, finely tuned, fast paced and fun, The Watcher in the Shadows delivers.

Highly, highly recommended grade 5-up. A must read for lovers of ghost stories and gothic literature.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Ghostly Pick: Doll Bones

Doll Bones
by Holly Black
Margaret K. McElderry Books
2013
256 (page count quoted on publisher's arc)

Available May 7, 2013 (date from publisher's arc)

Creepy, spooky, and downright strange, Doll Bones will delight tween fans of ghost stories and things that go bump in the night. Author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series Jeff Kinney says, "Nobody does spooky like Holly Black. Doll Bones is a book that will make you sleep with the lights on" (quote from publisher's flyer included with the shipment of the arc).



Best friends Zach, Poppy and Alice have played their game with dolls for years. Zach plays with a pirate doll he calls William the Blade, captain of the ship Neptune's Pearl. Alice's G.I. Jane doll is Lady Jaye, a thief who sneaks passage on the Pearl and Poppy's dolls are evil mermaids intent on destroying the ship and its crew. There is one doll strictly off limits; the kids refer to her only as The Great Queen and she lives in the china cabinet inside Poppy's house. Poppy's mother says she is old and made of fine bone china and worth a fortune. The kids make up a story for her; she is The Great Queen who rules over all the kingdoms.

When Poppy begins having nightmares and is haunted by a blond girl dressed in a nightgown who wants Poppy to bury her, Poppy enlists her friends' help. The Great Queen is made not just of china  but of bones! The child in the dream tells Poppy that the doll in the china cabinet is actually her.

The friends hatch a plan to ride the bus to Liverpool, Ohio, where the doll was manufactured. There,  the vision told Poppy, bury her (the doll) in the cemetary under a willow tree.

The kids' adventure is like one of their play stories. There are leering, crazy strangers and villians, a few helpful fairy godmothers (a donut shop owner and a waitress), and a not-so-nice librarian.

One problem and it probably only bothers librarians: the librarian in the book  is depicted as blinking "...owlishly behind her bright-green glasses" * and she comes off as gruff and not kid-friendly--not exactly the type of librarian depiction that this librarian/blogger likes to see in kid-lit. In fact, the librarian threatens to call the police and warns the kids that they better not have vandalized the place. The illustration of the librarian by Eliza Wheeler depicts a prim and very properly dressed middle aged woman. Again, not the face of librarians today. This is a librarian from yesteryear. C'mon, Holly Black, I know you've met librarians across the country, and you know librarians today are way cool.

Could Poppy be going crazy? Is she really dreaming about a ghost of a real girl who was murdered? Could the doll really be made of the girl's bones? Who was the little girl and who killed her? Could a doll be evil and haunting Poppy? When Zach has a creepy dream of his own, he becomes a believer. The kids decide to find the willow tree and solve the mystery.

Highly recommended for fans of ghost stories grade 5-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

*Quoted material from the arc

Book Giveaway: The Dead and Buried

I have TWO copies of this exciting new ghostly mystery/romance The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington!

The Dead and Buried
by Kim Harrington
Point
2013

Don't miss out on a chance of winning a free copy of The Dead and Buried! I couldn't put this book down. I was totally hooked from the very first page and it was fast paced and exciting.

Simply post a comment here or on my review of The Dead and Buried. Please include your first name, city, state and email contact. If you don't include your email, I can't contact you if you win. Deadline for posts is January 30 at noon MST. Winners are chosen randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified by email on January 31 after twelve noon; check your email then. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York courtesy of Point and Lauren. Thanks, Lauren!

Good luck and start posting! Pamela

Ghostly Pick: The Dead and Buried

The Dead and Buried
by Kim Harrington
Point
2013
304 pages

The Dead and Buried is a spooktacular mystery with a sweet swoon-worthy boy who has secrets of his own and a smart heroine who refuses to let a mean ghost take over her house and her life.

When Jade and her family move into town and to a posh neighborhood, she questions (to herself) how her family can afford the house, but it's soon forgotten. She's excited to attend a new high school; her last school was small and everyone knew everyone. She can't wait to have new adventures and meet new friends.

Pretty soon, Jade notices other kids staring at her and whispering behind her back. Jade does some digging and finds out a teenage girl was found dead at the foot of the staircase in Jade's new house. Her parents "forgot" to tell Jade this little detail. The kids at school say that Kayla was pushed; others say she simply fell to her death.

Little brother Colby tells Jade he sees a girl in his room and she doesn't talk to him but she "glimmers." Jade thinks Colby is making the girl up, but when Jade keeps finding her belongings moved around, she realizes that an angry ghost might be haunting them.

Kayla (the ghost) is as angry in death aa she was angry and mean in life. Jade has to figure out who pushed Kayla to her death or Kayla will harm Colby. Kayla's diary holds the key to the mystery and the murder. If only Jade can decipher it in time to save her brother.

This is the best ghost story I've read in a long time. It has all the elements of a great story: a large haunted house, a mean and angry ghost who keeps her own secrets, a hidden diary written in "code," a murder mystery, a love triangle or two, a secret about the ghost's family, a nice guy who's as haunted as the house, and a light romance. Kim Harrignton keeps getting it right. Fans of her Sleuth or Dare series will enjoy The Dead and Buried, and anyone who loves a ghostly mystery will race trhough this book.

I loved the way Kayla's diary was written. Instead of coming right out and naming people, she gives everyone a number. Jade has to study the diary to figure out what number is assigned to each person. I was able to figure it out pretty early on and even knew who the killer was, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the book.

Highly, highly recommeded grade 7-up. No language. A teen party and a love triangle. Kayla (the ghost) uses boys as her conquests, but no graphic details are spelled out.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Horror Pick: What the Night Knows

What the Night Knows
by Dean Koontz
Bantam Books
2012
442 pages

Read an excerpt here


An open letter to Dean Koontz:

Dear Dean,

You totally creep me out! I mean it—I have never been more terrified—What the Night Knows is your creepiest, most fantastical, bizarre, and terrible thing of beauty you have ever written. We have been through a lot over the years and over the many, many books. You were only toying with me with The Face and Dark Rivers of the Heart—playing with comedy through Odd Thomas, Forever Odd, Brother Odd and Odd Hours, introducing me to characters I could love with Seize the Night and Fear Nothing, painstakingly building your craft with The Vision and The Face of Fear, but toying no more, not with this opus—you have me as a fan forever.

What the Night Knows preys upon people’s darkest fears: evil in its most incarnate--evil able to enter anywhere and do anything. Evil that can enter anyone and use them. Evil that can lay dormant in a dwelling and wait. No one can escape it; no one can be saved.

John Calvino is a police detective with a wonderful, loving family, but twenty years ago, he was just a boy when his entire family was murdered by a man named Alton Turner Blackwood—a man with three names—just like all infamous murderers in history. Blackwood is the most savage killer the police have ever seen. Now, it’s twenty years later, and John Calvino discovers a family murdered in exactly the same fashion as twenty years prior. This time, the murderer is fourteen year old Billy Lucas who murders his own family. Calvino visits him at the state hospital to interview Billy. He leaves disturbed by Billy’s answer: “Ruin.”

Dean, the way you built upon the character of each of the children: dear, sweet Zach who wants to be a brave marine someday, fanciful and naïve Naomi who lives in a world of unicorns and wizards, and wonderful, all-knowing, all-seeing Minette, “don’t call me Mouse,” gives the reader hope that this family can be saved. The appearance of their trusty golden retriever Willard is a ray of sunshine that this family can depend upon. The strength of the marriage between Nicolette and John has to--just has to-- survive this ghostly and ghastly peril.

I must say, Dean, you had me at, “What year these events transpired is of no consequence. Where they occurred is not important. The time is always, and the place is everywhere.” This gentle and SCARY reminder that evil is always and everywhere is downright cryptic and horrible. I spent a few toss and turn-y nights while reading What the Night Knows. I slept with the nightlight on, and like Zach, I had a “weapon” at my bedside—although a baseball bat is no match for any ghost demon. I turned on lights before entering darkened rooms and I was careful not to peer too long into any mirrors lest I catch a glimpse of something I really didn’t want to see. I heard noises and thought of an evil so great that it could be anywhere and everywhere. Yeah, Dean, I lost sleep!

Dean Koontz, you are truly the master! I applaud your literary prowess. It’s a huge undertaking to mix a ghost story, a story of evil, a police drama, a fairy tale, a psychological thriller and a murder investigation, yet you do all of this with a deft hand and make the story plausible.

I have always loved your word choice and What the Night Knows is no exception. Just when I think I know your favorite, oft used words like ululation and susurration, you come up with seldom used words. What other writer uses words like louche, outré and effulgent? Reading your prose is a spectacular exercise. You never fail to amaze me.

Oh, and let me comment on your use as dogs as symbols of good. Your short piece written as an homage to Trixie, your beloved golden lab, brought me to tears. Trixie (and Willard) will always be an angel. Kinky Friedman once said that all your pets will come running to greet you in heaven; I know Trixie will be there for you, Dean.

So highly, highly recommended that I will shout it from the rooftops: Read What the Night Knows! Don’t miss this one. You’ll be sorry you did. Any fan of Koontz will love this latest scary tale.

Grade 9 and up. Not suitable for middle school due to adult themes, violence, sex, and language.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my own reading pleasure. It was a pleasure that scared me nearly to death! I will send this book over to the high school.

Horror Pick: What the Night Knows

What the Night Knows
by Dean Koontz
Bantam Books
2012
442 pages

read an excerpt here


An open letter to Dean Koontz:

Dear Dean,

You totally creep me out! I mean it—I have never been more terrified—What the Night Knows is your creepiest, most fantastical, bizarre, and terrible thing of beauty you have ever written. We have been through a lot over the years and over the many, many books. You were only toying with me with The Face and Dark Rivers of the Heart—playing with comedy through Odd Thomas, Forever Odd, Brother Odd and Odd Hours, introducing me to characters I could love with Seize the Night and Fear Nothing, painstakingly building your craft with The Vision and The Face of Fear, but toying no more, not with this opus—you have me as a fan forever.

What the Night Knows preys upon people’s darkest fears: evil in its most incarnate--evil able to enter anywhere and do anything. Evil that can enter anyone and use them. Evil that can lay dormant in a dwelling and wait. No one can escape it; no one can be saved.

John Calvino is a police detective with a wonderful, loving family, but twenty years ago, he was just a boy when his entire family was murdered by a man named Alton Turner Blackwood—a man with three names—just like all infamous murderers in history. Blackwood is the most savage killer the police have ever seen. Now, it’s twenty years later, and John Calvino discovers a family murdered in exactly the same fashion as twenty years prior. This time, the murderer is fourteen year old Billy Lucas who murders his own family. Calvino visits him at the state hospital to interview Billy. He leaves disturbed by Billy’s answer: “Ruin.”

Dean, the way you built upon the character of each of the children: dear, sweet Zach who wants to be a brave marine someday, fanciful and naïve Naomi who lives in a world of unicorns and wizards, and wonderful, all-knowing, all-seeing Minette, “don’t call me Mouse,” gives the reader hope that this family can be saved. The appearance of their trusty golden retriever Willard is a ray of sunshine that this family can depend upon. The strength of the marriage between Nicolette and John has to--just has to-- survive this ghostly and ghastly peril.

I must say, Dean, you had me at, “What year these events transpired is of no consequence. Where they occurred is not important. The time is always, and the place is everywhere.” This gentle and SCARY reminder that evil is always and everywhere is downright cryptic and horrible.

I spent a few toss and turn-y nights while reading What the Night Knows. I slept with the nightlight on, and like Zach, I had a “weapon” at my bedside—although a baseball bat is no match for any ghost demon. I turned on lights before entering darkened rooms and I was careful not to peer too long into any mirrors lest I catch a glimpse of something I really didn’t want to see. I heard noises and thought of an evil so great that it could be anywhere and everywhere. Yeah, Dean, I lost sleep!

Dean Koontz, you are truly the master! I applaud your literary prowess. It’s a huge undertaking to mix a ghost story, a story of evil, a police drama, a fairy tale, a psychological thriller and a murder investigation, yet you do all of this with a deft hand and make the story plausible.

I have always loved your word choice and What the Night Knows is no exception. What other writer uses words like louche, outré and effulgent? Reading your prose is a spectacular exercise. You never fail to amaze me.

So highly recommended that I will shout it from the rooftops: Read What the Night Knows! Don’t miss this one. You’ll be sorry you did. Any fan of Koontz will love this latest scary tale.

Grade 9 and up. Not suitable for middle school due to adult themes, violence, sex, and language.


FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my own reading pleasure. It was a pleasure that scared me nearly to death! I will send this book over to the high school.

Book Giveaway: Unraveling Isobel (A Ghostly, Gothic Pick)

I have 5 copies of this great new paranormal, gothic ghost story! I just loved this novel from the first pages! Don't miss this one--you'll love it and so will teen readers!

Read Chapter One here


Read my review of Unraveling Isobel here

Simply post a comment here on the blog (Young Adult Books--What We're Reading Now) and be sure and give your email address so that I can contact you if you win. Please also include your city and state because I love to keep track of who is out there reading and entering (and the publishers and authors like to know, too). Contest opens January 2-12. Deadline for posts is January 12th at noon MST. Winners will be notified January 12th and have 48 hours to respond to my email. If, for some reason, winners do not respond to my email, the next person chosen randomly will win the copy of the book. Winners are chosen randomly using Randomizer. Books will ship from New York City--thanks Simon & Schuster and Venessa!

Good luck and start posting now!

Book Giveaway-Unraveling Isobel--A Ghostly Romance

I have 5 copies of this fantastic new ya novel.

Unraveling Isobel
by Eileen Cook
Simon Pulse
2012
304 pages (according to publisher's website)

Available January 3, 2012 (date from publisher's website)

Read Chapter One here

Clever, creepy, creative, and seductive, Unraveling Isobel is my new favorite ya title. Full of Gothic appeal and details--a creepy, moss-covered mansion fallen into disrepair bulging with dusty antiques hand-crafted by dead ancestors, portraits of said dead ancestors peering down from its ancient walls, a step-father who reeks of disdain and old money, a mother who is so in love with wacktastic step-father that she can't even see what a horse's patooty he is, and a hot and sexy step-brother--all part of Isobel's new life.

Read the rest of my review here


Giveaway opens January 2, 2012 and runs through January 12. Deadline is January 12, 2012 at noon MST.

Post a comment and include your email address and city, state. I like to know where the readers are! I need your email address to notify you in case you win. Winners are chosen randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified by email on Jan. 12. Please check your email. You will have 48 hours to respond to my email to claim your prize. Books will be shipped from NYC. Thanks, Venessa and Simon & Schuster!

Ghostly Pick: Unraveling Isobel--A Must-Read

Unraveling Isobel
by Eileen Cook
Simon Pulse
2012
304 pages (according to publisher's website)

Available January 3, 2012 (date from publisher's website)

Read Chapter One here

Clever, creepy, creative, and seductive, Unraveling Isobel is my new favorite ya title. Full of Gothic appeal and details--a creepy, moss-covered mansion fallen into disrepair bulging with dusty antiques hand-crafted by dead ancestors, portraits of said dead ancestors peering down from its ancient walls, a step-father who reeks of disdain and old money, a mother who is so in love with wacktastic step-father that she can't even see what a horse's patooty he is, and a hot and sexy step-brother--all part of Isobel's new life.

Her mother met Richard, the new step-father, on the Internet and married him after only three months of dating. She moves Isobel to a small island off the coast of Washington state--it's Isobel's senior year and she can't believe how ignorant and self-serving her mother is acting. She doesn't care that Isobel has to leave her home, her school, and all her friends. She wants only her own happiness with not a care for her daughter.

Weird things happen the first night at the mansion. A ghost of a child appears to Isobel and she finds a puddle of sea water on the window seat of her room with a bit of slimy seaweed. Isobel knows that Richard's first wife and young daughter drowned last year. She suspects that Evie is trying to reach out to her, but can't figure out what the child-ghost is trying to tell her. Isobel enlists the help of Nathaniel, her hot step-brother. Soon, there's passionate and scintillating sparks whenever they're together.

At school, mean, but popular girl, Nicole befriends Isobel--but she has an ulterior motive. By being friends with Isobel, she gets to see Nathaniel--who she has had her eyes on for some time.

Evie appears to Isobel and Isobel really isn't afraid of her--she's more afraid that she may be going a little crazy; her dad suffers from schizophrenia, after all. She knows that it is an genetic disorder and can sometimes be passed on to the next generation. Is Evie for real, or is Isobel "losing" it?

Isobel visits the library to get some answers about the girl's drowning and befriends one of the librarians, Mandy. She helps Isobel find articles about the mansion and tells her about two girls who vanished there some years ago. They were never found, but Isobel discovers their secrets.

Unraveling Isobel is delightful gothic romance. Isobel has a great teenage voice dripping with sarcasm, hyperbole, and funny metaphors. It is a clever ghost story--as enthralling as it is entertaining. I was spellbound and speechless when Mandy's true identity becomes known! This is a must read for fans of gothic romance, ghost stories, and anyone who enjoys a vulnerable, yet strong, heroine.

There are two things I have some trouble with: One is the depiction of the older librarian--so typical of the old-school librarian--nearly Nazi-like behavior and demeanor--an old lady who likes things tidy and silent. We all know today's librarians are much more fun (if I do say so myself). Secondly, the cover does not have much teen appeal. Girls may not pick up this book unless they hear about if from a friend or a blog.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Some language, some kissing. Isobel call's her new step-dad "Dick" since his name is Richard and he truly lives up to his nickname. Isobel knows her mother and new step-father are having a passionate romance, but she can't stomach imagining her own mother ever having sex. Pretty funny stuff-sheer teen-age angst.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Hereafter

Hereafter
by Tara Hudson
Harper Teen
2011
416 pages

Available June 7, 2011

This debut paranormal novel will thrill readers who liked Hush, Hush and Before I Fall. Amelia is lost--but there is one thing she knows for sure--she is dead. She doesn't remember anything but her first name and the fact that she drowned. She wanders aimlessly near a bridge and a river and finds herself forever dreaming of her drowning and walking in a spooky cemetary.

When she attempts to save a human boy from drowning in the same spot she died in--she finds that as a ghost, she can't save him because she can't feel him. She uses all her "spirit" (pun intended) to wish him to live, and he locks eyes with her and gets to the surface. Later, Joshua looks for the strange but beautiful girl who saved him.

Amelia realizes that Joshua is the only human who can see and hear her. She is thrilled to finally have some company--even if she is a ghost and he is a living, breathing human. The more time they spend together, Amelia begins feeling more human--she can feel a breeze and smell scents she never smelled as a spirit. Joshua and Amelia try to uncover her past and figure out how she died, but Joshua's grandmother is convinced that Amelia is a bad spirit and must be exorcised.

Romantic, sweet, and enjoyable, Hereafter will thrill paranormal romance readers.

Recommended grade 7-up. No language, no sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Spooky Pick: Morpehus Road: The Light

Morpheus Road: the Light
by D.J. MacHale
Aladdin
2010
341 pages

Book Two: Morpheus Road: The Black just published in April 2011

Spooky cool and heart-pounding, Morpheus Road: The Light is a thriller not to miss!

This is the first book in the series and after reading this one, readers will surely want to read more of Marshall Seaver's strange adventure of being haunted by a figment of his artistic imagination: Gravedigger. Marshall is a fan of graphic novels and comics and reads them with an artist's eye; art seems to run in his blood. His mother was an award winning travel photographer until her tragic death in an earthquake. Marshall keeps drawing the same character over and over again: Gravedigger.

When things start going bump in the night and Marshall sees visions and creepy faces at the window, he knows he's got to get out of his house. Marshall agrees to team up with Sydney, sister of his best friend Cooper to find out where Cooper could be. Cooper has been missing for two days when the pair set out to find him. Weird forces from beyond seem to be helping them, but evil forces seem to want to harm them. In a classic battle of good versus evil, who will win?

The book ends in an open question: Can Cooper help Marshall find the answers? What will Marshall have to risk? Who or what is behind Gravedigger? Who will travel Morpheus Road?

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Spooky Pick: The Secret of Laurel Oaks

The Secret of Laurel Oaks
by Lois Ruby
Tom Doherty Associates, 2010
274 pages

Thirteen year old Lila has been hearing and seeing strange things ever since family friend and Jemez pueblo member Roberto died. Now that she and her family are visiting Laurel Oaks, a haunted plantation in Louisiana, Lila sees and hears far more than she wants to. When the ghost of a slavegirl named Daphne appears to her and asks Lila for help, Lila knows that she can't pretend she doesn't see the spirits.

Daphne hasn't been able to pass on to the other side, whatever or wherever it may be. Something is keeping her at Laurel Oaks. She has been hanging around the plantation for two centuries, trying to get someone to see or hear her, and finally Lila shows up and seems to have the powers. Daphne didn't poison the Judge's wife and daughters, but she may know who did. Daphne has been trusted by the Judge's wife to pass on her porceline bebes, figurines that were treasured by the wife, and Daphne wants Lila to find them.

Can the mystery be solved? Will the treasure ever be found? Will Daphne's name be cleared after all these years? And what about Lila--will she forever be at the spirits' beck and call?

Chapters are told in turn by Lila in the present and Daphne in the past--during the slave days of the South. Daphne tells of a life in the big house and learning hoodoo from Birdie--a slave woman gifted in spells, witchcraft, and the healing arts. The author weaves a story rich with superstitions and folklore brought from Africa and practiced among slaves in the South.

Readers who like ghost stories or mysteries will like this novel. Spooky and satisfying, the setting of Laurel Oaks and the creepy Louisiana backwoods and swamps make this novel come alive.

Recommended grades 6-8.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I bought this book for my library. I received no monetary compensation for my review.

Ghostly Pick

The Hunt for the Seventh
by Christine Morton-Shaw
Katherine Tegan Books (Harper Collins Publishers), 2009 (paperback edition)
273 pages

Creepy, thrilling and mysterious, this novel will have young readers frantically turning the pages to figure out who the "seventh" is. Jim moves with his father and younger sister to an English manor known as Minerva Hall. It's steeped in history and mystery. The current master, Lord Minerva, is a grumpy old curmudgeon who detests children and Jim, it seems, in particular.


When Jim begins seeing visions of ghostly figures and statues of dead children, he realizes that there has been at least one murder at Minerva Hall. As he searches for answers, his life and his family's lives are threatened.

Mixing ancient rites and early English lore with the supernatural ghost story, The Hunt for the Seventh will appeal to those readers who love a ghost story and a mystery. Readers who have read Mary Downing Hahn's ghost stories are sure to like this book.

Recommended for readers grades 4-8.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for the library. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Ghostly Pick

Three Quarters Dead
by Richard Peck
Dial Books (Penguin), 2010.
208 pages

Sophomore Kerry Williamson doesn't fit in. She sits alone at the end of a lunch table where three fabulous, popular girls gather for lunch. Kerry eavesdrops on their conversations, longing to be like them. Tanya is the queen of all; she rules the group. She is perfect--from her flawless skin to her long blond tresses.

When Tanya invites Kerry to sit with them, Kerry fells like it's a dream come true and she can't believe her good fortune. She is suddenly living the part of a popular girl, that is...until a terrible accident ruins everything. Time passes. Seasons change. And then out of nowhere...Kerry gets a text message from Tanya.

She's thrilled. Maybe all these months she has been stuck in a bad dream. Three Quarters Dead is a great high school clique novel with a ghoulish twist. Honestly, readers won't be able to put this one down. Anyone who loves a ghost story or a thriller will love this book. Peck is a masterful storyteller.

Highly recommended. Grades 7 and up.
Publishing release: October 26, 2010

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this ARC in a box sent to me from a fellow librarian. I received no monetary compensation for my review.

Spooky Pick

The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall

The Ghost of Crutchfild Hall
by Mary Downing Hahn
Clarion Books(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
2010.
153 pages

Thomas Crutchfield has been looking for his orphaned great-niece for seven years. Finally located, Florence is finally able to escape the dismal orphanage in London to travel to her great-uncle's estate in the English countryside. Crutchfield Hall is so different from London. Set in the countryside, its gloomy and forbidding exterior and Gothic appearance remind readers of the Bronte sisters' novels with their vast, wet moors and haunted mansions.

Uncle Thomas is polite enough and takes great care to welcome Florence. Her great-aunt Eugenie, on the other hand, is quite rude and downright cruel to Florence. The only other occupants of the manor are a few servants and cousin James, a sickly, bed-ridden little boy who is not able to play with Florence. She is so lonely--she longs to be back at the orphanage where her friends are. One other occupant roams Crutchfield Hall--Cousin Sophia, a ghost. Sophia is not a nice ghost--she wants revenge on James and blames him for her death. She is not happy when Florence moves in either.

The author is a solid ghost story writer and popular with the tween segment. Readers who like Hahn's other books will flock to this one. Entertaining and spooky.

Recommmended for tweens and younger, grades 4-8.
Recommended for those readers who love ghost stories.

FTC Required Disclaimer: the Advance Readers copy was furnished to me by the publisher. This fact does not influence my review in any way. I was not paid to review this book.

YA Pick

Ruined

by Paula Morris

Scholastic, 2009.

309 pages

Rebecca hates the idea of leaving her friends in New York City for a semester in filthy post-Katrina New Orleans attending a snooty boarding school full of the city's richest families. She hates living with her weird Aunt Claudia who reads tarot cards for tourists in the Bourbon Street district and seems to know an awful lot about voodoo legends and curses.

The prep school kids are cliquish and rude to Rebecca and consider her an outcast. Only one boy, Anton Grey, talks to her, but he is careful not to let his other "friends" know that he is nice to Rebecca. Once Rebecca follows Anton and his friends into the Lafayette Cemetery and stays hidden from view. As she is leaving, she stumbles upon a young girl named Lisette. Lisette is easy to talk to and tells Rebecca all about the history of New Orleans and the rich families who live near the cemetery. There's only one problem: Rebecca is the only one who can see Lisette--because Lisette is a ghost.

Rebecca and Lisette try to discover the reason that Lisette is not at rest. They also are thrown into danger when an old Haitian voodoo curse threatens Rebecca's life.

Part ghost story, part high school clique novel, Ruined is an entertaining read that will appeal to mystery and gothic readers who have a penchant for dark and gloomy places and mysterious happenings in the Big Easy (New Orleans). Recommended for YA collections grades 7-up.

Middle School Pick

I So Don't Do Mysteries
by Barrie Summy

Scholastic, 2008.

264 pages

A really funny take on the traditional ghost story, this novel has readers laughing out loud at Sheri's (short for Sherlock) antics. She's a fashion diva with a hilarious sense of humor and a penchant for understatement. When she meets her mother's ghost--no kidding...her mother needs Sheri's help with a mystery in California...Sheri tries to say no. Eventually she ends up relenting and flies to California for a "vacation" with her best friend and elderly aunt. While her aunt takes care of a sick friend, Sheri locates her ghost mother and grandfather--who is now a bird in the afterlife. With their help, Sheri is out to solve the mystery of who is trying to kill the rhinos at the wild animal park and why.

Quirky, funny and appealing, this novel is a fun read for anyone who enjoys a mystery with just a little ghost story thrown in the mix.

Recommended for YA collections, grades 6-up.

Fantasy Pick

The Garden of Eve
by K.L. Going
Sandpiper Books/Houghton Mifflin, 2007.
234 pages.

After her mother's untimely death, Evie doesn't believe in fairy tales or magic anymore. If magic were real, wouldn't it have saved her mother? Evie's father moves them to New York state where he has bought a dried up apple orchard and a rickety house next to a cemetary. Evie can't stand the house or the apple orchard. When she sees a boy in the cemetary she befriends him even though she suspects he is a ghost!

An elderly lady gives Evie a box for her 11th birthday telling Evie that the box was left in her care and she was only to give the box to "Eve." Evie opens the box and sees a single seed. Is the seed magical? Where did it come from? What does it do?

Part fairy tale, part ghost story, part Biblical allusion, and symbolic throughout, this novel is magical, compelling, and poetic.

A must-read for grades 4-8. Older readers who enjoy fairy tales will enjoy this one. Simply fantastic!!!Highly recommended. Don't miss this book.



Teacher resources and more at www.klgoing.com