Took: A Ghost Story

Gr 4–7—When Daniel's father loses his job as an executive, his family is forced to move from their comfortable Connecticut home to a run-down house in Brewster's Hill, MA. As if moving to a dilapidated house and leaving behind all his friends is not enough, no one in Brewster's Hill will speak to Daniel or his little sister Erica, except to tell them scary stories about a girl who disappeared from their house and an old witch who haunts the woods with her monster Bloody Bones. Thankfully, Daniel and Erica have each other, and they do their best to ignore the cruel taunting. However Erica begins to withdraw, acting strange and constantly talking to her doll, before she disappears leaving Daniel to rescue her and keep his family from falling apart. Hahn is a master of horror stories, and this is no exception. The story is told mostly from Daniel's point of view but Hahn offers occasional glimpses into the ghost witch Old Auntie's viewpoint, and this helps to build tension. The tone is eerie and ominous, and enhances the pervading spookiness. Bloody Bones' description is haunting and readers will be scared stiff.