Tag archives for Ghosts
Posted by BOOK NAME: Wait Till Helen Comes
AUTHOR: Mary Downing Hahn
If you like creepy ghost stories that gives you chills, then this is the book for you! In this saga, we meet Molly, a 12 year old girl who is annoyed with her 5 year old bratty stepsister, Heather. Scary things begin to happen when Molly’s family moves to an old church. It’s really, really old since it was made in the 1700s. Like any old church, it has a graveyard right next door. One of the graves belongs to a girl named Helen. Heather “befriends” the dead girl Helen through her ghost. Heather is lonely since she hates the new members of her step-family. She is hoping that Helen will come and scare her new family away.
Heather often says “Just wait ’till Helen comes. She will make you all sorry for what you’ve done to me”. Heather visits Helen’s grave almost every night to plot her revenge. She offers up wildflowers to the gravesite.
On the property is a pond too. It is near the site of Helen’s old house which had burned down and is now in ruins. Children have drowned in this pond and Molly believes that Helen lures children to this pond and drowns them. She fears for Heather because she thinks the same fate may await her. “A few children have drowned in the pond by mysterious causes. It is not a good place for children to play” the caretaker of the property warns Molly and her brother, Michael. Spooky stuff, huh?
I don’t want to give away the ending, but anyone who loves ghost stories should pick this one up. I think you’ll soon make friends with Helen too.
Posted by BOOK NAME: Everwild
AUTHOR:
Neal Shusterman
If you liked Everlost, then you’re sure to love Everwild, the sequel and second book in The Skinjacker Trilogy. Everwild came out a while ago, but the third book is coming out this spring so I decided to wait until it was closer to that time to review it. Everwild is the second book in the series, and follows Allie, Nick, Mary, and quite a few other characters in their journeys through Everlost. Nick is dubbed ‘The Chocolate Monster’ by Mary because of the chocolate stain that just won’t go away, and he is trying to get all of the kids in Everlost to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Meanwhile, Mary Hightower is trying to keep them all in Everlost forever. Allie goes back home to try and find her parents, and runs into some skinjackers. Near the end of the novel, she discovers the real reason why she can skinjack–and that reason will definitely be a big factor in some huge decisions she will have to make in the third book.
I love Neal Shusterman’s writing, and he continues to amaze me with his creative and imaginative stories. I would recommend this book to pretty much all kids who aren’t freaked out by the concept of ‘ghosts.’ For more information about the series, read my review of Everlost, the first book, to see if this is for you. My favorite character was actually a new character named Zinnia (although everyone called her Zin). She had a great personality and I was constantly laughing out loud at her antics. Overall, this is yet another hit that I encourage everyone to read (but not before you read the first book).
BOOK NAME: All the Lovely Bad Ones
AUTHOR: Mary Downing Hahn
Have you ever taken a trip and stayed at a place that was kind of creepy? Well guess what, the Fox Hill Inn is that kind of place! You know the type of place I’m talking about; the one with a run down look, creaky doors, windows that can’t open, big chandeliers, and strange noises. Nothing says “welcome home” like a mysterious figure in the courtyard!
The welcoming group is actually a team of paranormal investigators trying to find the source of all this strangeness. I guess it’s just dumb luck that Corey and Travis get to join them by spending their summer at this inn run by their grandma. They are there because their parents are gone for the summer. Corey and Travis started the summer at camp, but got kicked out for playing hooky and starting food fights. They weren’t that close with their grandma and she didn’t seem like your typical cookie-baking type. She was friendly enough though, and allowed them to explore the inn.
The brother and sister are pranksters and like to scare the guests by doing things such as banging on windows and doors. But things get really interesting when suddenly it’s not them making the strange noises. Apparently they’ve managed to arouse some unwanted guests, the resident ghosts! As you can imagine, their summer vacation goes down hill from there. I don’t want to give away the ending, but it turns out that Corey and Travis are pretty good at solving mysteries. So give it a read–if you dare!
Posted by BOOK NAME: The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn
AUTHOR: Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
Seikei dreams of becoming a samurai, but he knows his fate cannot be like one of a samurai. Being a tea merchant’s son, he is expected to grow up and inherit his father’s trade. Living life by one day at a time, Seikei becomes familiar with the tea his father sells and almost gives up on his dream of being a samurai. Soon after, a ruby sent to the shogun (the military governor of Japan) is stolen by a ghost. Being the only witness, Seikei is required to assist the famous samurai magistrate, Judge Ooka, in his adventure to find the thief and return the ruby.
The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn is a book apart of the “Sleuth Puffin” group so it’s a mystery/adventure. This book was one I was to read for school. In full honesty, I read the summary on the back which covered most of the whole story like the paragraph above and I deeply sighed. A Japanese boy with a dream. A dream that couldn’t come true. Then something gets stolen and he has to help. So typical, right? After the second chapter in this book I kept reading and reading. I loved it so much! The storyline is admittedly common, but the authors, Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, dazzled up the plot and the whole story came alive. No inappropriate content and a fabulous story! I suggest it to reading levels of 3rd grade and up!
Posted by BOOK NAME: The Graveyard Book
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
Welcome to today’s book club meeting!
We just finished Bod’s story in Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. We really enjoyed it, and we hope you did, too!
If you have finished the book, click “See More” to get to the discussion.
If you haven’t finished the book, stop here.
Last warning! Spoilers ahead!
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BOOK NAME: The Graveyard Book
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
Welcome to today’s book club meeting!
We’ve finished the five chapters of The Graveyard Book, following Bod on his many adventures living in the graveyard. This week, Bod faced serious danger, but he also made a few new friends.
If you have finished chapter five, click “See More” to get to the discussion.
If you haven’t read that far yet, or if you’re still looking for a copy, stop here!
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BOOK NAME: The Graveyard Book
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
Welcome to today’s book club meeting!
We just finished reading the first two chapters of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. It’s the story of Nobody (or Bod for short), a boy growing up with ghosts.
If you have read the first two chapters, click “See More” to get to the discussion.
If you haven’t read that far yet, or if you’re still looking for a copy, stop here!
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BOOK NAME: The Graveyard Book
AUTHOR: Neil Gaiman
Today’s the first day October, and Halloween is just around the corner. To celebrate, we’ll be reading a spooky book. If he lived anywhere else, Bod would be an ordinary boy. But he doesn’t live in an ordinary place–his home is a graveyard! Learn more about this month’s book on the Book of the Month page.
We’ll be reading the first two chapters for our meeting on Wednesday, October 6. Find a copy and get set to read (and shiver) along with the book club!
-DogEared
Posted by G’day mates! This is Maya, reporting for the first part of today’s adventure. Our day began when we took a bus ride and arrived at Taroona Primary School, set atop a gorgeous hill overlooking the sparkling bay. There, we met with our Tassie buddies that we had been e-mailing prior to the trip…
Video courtesy of Tourism Australia
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