MAGICALLY SPOOKY
I really loved all of these books and I hope you will find one that you love, too! For the most part, these books are not overly creepy. Ophie's Ghosts is probably the spookiest.
Sheets and Delicates by Brenna Thummler Friendly ghosts help save a laundromat - and a life! THESE ARE SO GOOD!
Hooray! Graphic Novels! Also - trigger warning - death and suicidal teen.
Sheets Marjorie Glatt’s life
is pretty miserable. Her mom is dead; her dad is depressed and leaves everything up to Marjorie - taking care of herself and her brother plus running the family laundromat. Fortunately, Marjorie discovers Wendell - a young ghost - and he and his ghost friends help Marjorie defeat the bad guy. Marjorie is around 7th grade in this one and 8th grade in Delicates which is darker than Sheets.
In Delicates, Marjorie desperately wants human friends and finds herself in the precarious position of lying to her ghost friend, Wendell, in order to be one of the popular kids. Another classmate, Eliza, is obsessed with photographing ghosts which makes her the kid everyone else makes fun of and bullies. Marjorie knows that feeling but she's not sure she wants to sacrifice being popular for being compassionate (and her true self).
Marjorie was lucky to find Wendell when she felt all alone. Will she be able to offer friendship to Marjorie? And will she make that decision in time?
The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington An orphaned girl adopted by zoo caretaker solves a mystery - and finds lost treasure - with the help of a ghost.
I am so happy this was a 2021 Bluebonnet nominee because this is one that I don't think I would have read - and then I would have missed out on a really great story! Lexington Willow is swept up by a tornado and lands in a Nebraska zoo where Nyah, an elephant, protects her from the full fury of the storm. That's where Roger, one of the zoo's caretakers, finds her. He adopts her and they get to live in the zoo! Lex has a telepathic link with Nyah which leads her and her best friend Fisher on the trail of missing treasure.
Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by F. T. Bradley This is a classic whodunnit with a ghostly twist. JJ Jacobson, aspiring ghost hunter, finds himself tracking down a murderer with new friends Penny and Emma.
JJ Jacobson is obsessed with ghost hunting. And struggling with his schoolwork. His mom has promised him a special treat so when she receives an invitation to the local hotel - which has a haunting reputation - JJ is eager to tag along. When they arrive, they learn that the hotel's owner has been found murdered! Little do they know that they and the other invited guests are stepping into a carefully woven trap. Will JJ and his new friends, Penny and Emma, be able to unravel the true motive and identity of the murderer?
One Jar of Magic by Ann Corey Haydu Can too much magic be a bad thing? And can no magic at all be a good thing? No ghosts but lots of magic. Also - an abusive dad.
In Rose's town, magic comes in jars that are harvested once a year. And her father is the very best at finding the magic jars. He knows that Rose will be the best, too - and tells her and everyone else that finding magic is her true destiny. Rose ends up sacrificing a lot in her attempts to please her father but trying really hard to find magic doesn't make it come to you. This is a complicated book set in a world similar to ours - it's just that the town where Rose lives has magic and other towns - and some people - don't. A bit of a spoiler but also a warning - Rose's father's obsession with magic has become out of control and he is willing to cheat and lie to get it, abandon family members who don't have the same passion for magic that he does, and fly into rages when things don't go the way he has planned. The story is about living up to impossible expectations and how to handle disappointment in yourself and your loved ones.
Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland Daffodil House may look lovely but the ghosts that live there - and the house itself -have a different story to tell. Can Ophie solve the mystery before it is too late?
The
story begins in a small town near Atlanta, Georgia in 1922. Twelve year
old Ophie (short for Ophelia) can see and communicate with ghosts. She
is introduced to this amazing ability when her father - who has just
been murdered by a group of white men - appears to her and warns her
that she and her mother need to hide because the gang is headed to their
house. Why was her father murdered? Because he voted. Ophie does not
realize at first that she is speaking to her father's ghost but the grim
realization dawns upon her fairly quickly. Ophie tries to tell her
mother but her mom does not want to hear about it. Instead, they leave
Georgia and head to Pittsburgh to live with her father's Aunt Rose. And
Pittsburgh has a LOT of ghosts. Especially at Daffodil House where she
and her mother work as maids. Can Ophelia solve their mysteries and help
them move on to wherever they should be? It's dangerous work but she
desperately wants to help the ghosts. Well - most of them, anyway.
I
liked this book a lot - and enjoyed how the author inserted chapters
that gave the viewpoint of the train, the trolley, Daffodil House,
Pittsburgh, and other places impacted by our every day lives. She does
not flinch from describing the injustice and cruelty experienced by
black people throughout the history of America. It's also a quick read
because the reader will want to untangle the mysteries presented by the
book and learn how things turn out for Ophie. I would welcome a second
book where we learn of more mysteries solved by Ophie. This book and Pony have the creepiest ghosts.
Pony by R. J. Palacio When Silas's father disappears, he and his ghost friend, Mittenwool, set out on the adventure of a life time to find him.
R.
J. Palacio's latest is captivating. It is the story of a boy on a quest
to find his father who has been kidnapped by a small band of
unscrupulous men. Silas Bird and his best friend, Mittenwool, wake up in
the middle of the night to a group of three armed men on their
doorstep. These men want to take Silas and his father; they have even
brought a white faced pony for the boy to ride. But the father refuses
to go unless they leave Silas at home. He makes Silas promise to stay at
the house (which is in the middle of nowhere Ohio) until he returns.
But when the white-faced Pony shows up all alone, Silas decides his
father must be in trouble and sets out with Pony and Mittenwool to find him.
I have been pondering
exactly what genre fits Pony. It is a bit supernatural because it has
ghosts but it is not overly scary. It is historical because the story
takes place just before the Civil War - when people still rode
everywhere on horseback. And some historical facts are discussed. It's
also a bit of a mystery because there are a lot of unknowns that are
resolved by the end of the book. It's realistic fiction because it is
the story of the relationship between a boy and his father. But mostly
it's a quest story which is why I would mark it an adventure. With a
sprinkling of mythology and ancient literature thrown into the mix. The
dog's name, for example, is Argos. And Silas considers any number of
names for Pony (such as Bucephalus, Alexander the Great's horse). But
none of the names seems to suit as well as Pony.
I think it would
make an excellent read-aloud for a classroom of 5th/6th graders. There
is a lot to discuss; the chapters are short; and no one is going to want
to stop reading it once they truly get into the story.
And then
there are the antique photographs sprinkled throughout the chapters and
sections. The author explains those in her note at the end!
River Magic by Ellen Booraem Donna will do anything to not be shipped off to live with her terrible aunt and cousins. Even cleaning house for the creepy lady who moves in next door. But why are there so many chickens?
This
was a very enjoyable read! It starts out with Donna grieving the death
of her aunt and worrying about how to make ends meet. Donna lives with
her mom (Mim) and her older sister Janice. Her aunt used to live with
them and had been planning to start a carpentry business with Mim but
her untimely death (by drowning in a kayak accident on the titular River) left the family with a pile of bills and Mim working
three jobs. Things are also not great at school - Donna knows her grief
has changed her. Her BFF Rachel has started to hang out with other
friends, leaving Donna to navigate school with another loner. Her luck
seems to be changing when she begins to hear her aunt's voice in her
head, providing guidance. Then an older lady moves in next door and
hires Donna to clean house. And that's when all the really strange
things start to happen! The lady pays her in gold. Donna sees something
huge and scaly swimming in the river. And strange chickens keep
appearing. Will Donna's desperation to help her family out of financial
trouble lead to a completely chaotic situation? Yes - yes it will.
Like several other books on this list, this book starts
out like realistic fiction and then quickly veers into fantasy. The first 100 pages
are intriguing but after that, you will have a hard time putting the
book down because you want to know how everything is going to be
resolved!
Something
happened to 12-year-old Clara last summer but she can't remember what
it was. She catches glimpses of it in her memory but there's a blank in
her mind. She does know that she gets angry very easily. And that she
used to love the water but now she is afraid of it. She loved to surf,
swim in the ocean, and play in the river but now she just can't. She
lives in the small community of Sycamore in Jamaica. There are two other
story lines that run parallel to Clara's memory loss. One is that her
uncle Eldorath has been accused of witchcraft and banished to his house
on the hill. The other is the new girl, Rudy, who is from New York and
visiting her grandmother. And there is also Clara's cousin and (sometimes) best friend, Gaynah.
I was immediately drawn into the story because, of
course, I wanted to know what had happened to Clara! And also the mystery surrounding her uncle
which no one really wanted to talk about. I actually had to make myself
put the book down and go to bed. Which is when a piece of the puzzle
clicked into place for me. But there were still a lot of unanswered
questions - which all fell into place when I finished the book the next
day.
I loved how supportive Clara's mom and dad and
uncle (eventually) are with her while she works through her trauma. And the
interesting people that lived in the community. I think this would make a
great read-aloud in a 4th or 5th grade classroom. And it pairs nicely
with The Year I Flew Away by Marie Arnold.
The Year I Flew Away by Marie Arnold Never (ever) trust a witch. But if you do, talking rats and librarians are there to help!
Don't
judge a book by its cover. At least, not this one. There are witches
and talking rats in this book - and I would never have guessed that from
looking at the cover. Gabrielle has moved to Brooklyn from Haiti to
live with her Uncle John and his family. Her mother and father will join
her as soon as they get their paperwork in order. On her very first
night in her new home, she can't sleep so she takes a walk - and
encounters a witch - Lady Lydia - who assures her that she can help her
if she is ever in trouble. Gabrielle knows better than to trust a witch
so she tells the witch no. But soon she must navigate going to a new
school in a new country with no friends and very little English. She had
good friends plus her loving parents in Haiti but in Brooklyn she has
no friends, her new family is very busy, and at school there is a bully
who makes her life miserable. Trying desperately to make friends and fit
in, Gabrielle turns to Lady Lydia and makes a deal. Three wishes. But
magic in this world comes at a cost. Each time she uses a wish, she
loses something. And if she uses all three wishes, Lady Lydia will
control her essence. Yes - Lady Lydia is definitely a bad witch.
Fortunately, Gabrielle has a few friends - Carmen, a school friend;
Rocky, a talking rat who wants to be a rabbit and has an invisibility
cloak; and the school librarian who is also from Haiti. They help her
overcome her mistakes and fix the mess she makes - though Gabrielle is
ultimately the one who has to have the courage to admit that she messed
up big time.
Gabrielle and Carmen are ten years old but the
magical elements in the book should grab the interest of older readers
also. I think it would make a good read-aloud. Kids will be able to
relate to Gabrielle and her mistakes. The book also addresses how
difficult it can be for a new student from another country to fit in at
school. And encourages students to not give up on their culture and
customs but embrace and share them with others.
So
many middle grade books this year have ghosts in them! Or some aspect
of the supernatural. They may be historical or mystery or realistic -
but then there's a magical element thrown into the mix. At first I
thought I might be imagining it - but even the kid lit journals have commented on it. How to classify these books? What genre sticker do you put on the
spine? Supernatfantastihistoricarealistic? I know that not every book
needs to be pigeon-holed into a category but as a librarian, a few of
these books would drive me batty. As a reader, however, it's delightful
and intriguing. Why so many ghosts this year? I know magic and ghosts are plot devices that help move the story along. Mittenwool, for example, is an essential element of Pony. No answers, really. Just more questions!
And these are only a few of the books that have ghosts! Do you have a favorite?
