MG – The Cursed Moon

Cervantes, Angela. The Cursed Moon. Scholastic Press, 2023. 978-1-338-81401-9. 224 p. $18.99. Grades 3-7.

Tell a great scary story, and you’re cool. Tell a great scary story under a cursed blood moon, and you’re also in big trouble. Sixth grade Rafa has found his niche in composing the best scary stories for his sister, Brianna, and new friends like Jayden. Together, Rafa and Brianna have moved in with their Abuelo and Abuela. Although their incarcerated mother, Nikki, is about to be released and return home, too, the impending reunion is met with anxiety and distrust by both siblings. In the days leading up to Nikki’s return, an older neighbor gives Rafa an ominous warning not to tell any of his scary stories under that night’s blood moon. Despite this plea, Rafa shares a terrifying tale with friends that night: The story of a spirit named the Caretaker who lures people into a local park’s pond to die. Unfortunately, Rafa should have listened to his neighbor. Now, it is too late. The Caretaker has come to life, and it is searching for new lives to claim. Rafa will have to figure out how to make this story have a happy ending…quickly.

THOUGHTS: The Cursed Moon contains just the right combination of creepy details and caring characters for a middle grade reader to thoroughly enjoy. While some of the focus is on the supernatural story action, Cervantes also weaves in lots of great realistic details that help fully form the characters of Rafa and Brianna. Pieces read like a realistic fiction story. At just over 200 pages, this is also an accessible book for developing middle grade readers who like a good thrill and chill!

Elem./MG – Camp Sylvania

Murphy, Julie. Camp Sylvania. Balzer + Bray, 2023. 978-0-063-11402-9. 280 p. $18.99. Grades 3-6.

Magnolia “Maggie” Hagen has been waiting for years to attend Camp Rising Star with her best friend, Nora. They’ve just finished their fifth grade year and are ready to start packing, but Maggie’s parents have an unwelcome surprise in store: Maggie will attend Camp Sylvania instead. Camp Sylvania’s website promises a “place for big dreams, big fun, and big weight loss.” Maggie is horrified that her parents are sending her to “fat camp” on the Lake of the Ozarks, and without her best friend. Maggie’s mom knows the founder, Sylvia Sylvania, from her own days at a similar camp called New Beginnings, and believes that losing weight is truly in Maggie’s best interest. Although Maggie initially resents being sent to Camp Sylvania, she makes fast friends with her bunkmates and soon enjoys a sense of belonging, even auditioning for the camp’s musical. She adjusts to the camp’s grueling workouts, Sylia’s patented Scarlet Diet (the cafeteria only serves food that is red), and a blood bank where all campers are encouraged to donate regularly. But when campers begin disappearing overnight, Maggie realizes that something is very wrong at Camp Sylvania. By the time her folks arrive for Parents’ Day, it may be too late, unless Maggie and her friends take drastic action (with a little help from the camp ghost).

THOUGHTS: Julie Murphy’s latest is both a spirited summer camp horror novel and a keen take-down of diet culture. 

Mystery (Horror)

Elem./MG – Misfit Mansion

Davault, Kay. Misfit Mansion. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-665-90308-0. unpaged. $22.99. Grades 3-6.

Iris has lived in the Misfit Mansion for a long time. She doesn’t remember much about her own origin as a horror—just that she simply existed one day. Other horrors live in the mansion, too. They are kept safe from humans by a magic seal placed on the door. When their human protector, Mr. Halloway, has to leave on business for a few days, havoc reigns after someone breaks the door’s sealing spell. Iris and other horrors take the opportunity to explore the nearby town, Dead End Springs. Conveniently, the town is hosting their annual Harvest Festival, and the horrors have the perfect costume disguise: going as themselves. Things seem to go well at first, but someone is out to ruin the horrors’ fun.

THOUGHTS: Misfit Mansion is a not-too-scary supernatural graphic novel to pick up just in time for autumn festivities and Halloween. The themes of inclusion, diversity, and friendship are also explored here and add depth to this story. The art is colorful, imaginative, and friendly.

Graphic Novel

MG – The International House of Dereliction

Davies, Jacqueline. The International House of Dereliction. Clarion, 2023.  978-0-063-25807-5. 230 p. $16.99. Grades 3-6.

Alice and her parents, Professor Cannoli (her mother) and George Potchnik (her father) are facing their eleventh move in Alice’s ten years. Housing is part of Professor Cannoli’s compensation at the college she works for, but the problem is that George and Alice are quite good at fixing things. They fix each house the family moves into so well that the college sells the house for a big profit, then moves them into a new wreck. Professor Cannoli, arguing that Alice is of an age in which being rooted in one home is critical, devises a plan to get the college to let them stay in their new house forever. Rather than fix up their new home, the Cannoli-Potchnick family must accept their new home’s shortcomings without fixing a thing until the college grants it to them as permanent housing. Once moved in, Alice, who is unschooled, feels drawn to the condemned mansion next door, and quickly gets the “Potchnik itch” to begin repairs. As she secretly fixes the house, she discovers that it seems to be alive… and protective of the ghosts who occupy it. The ghosts on their end, believe that Alice has received the “blessing of the house” because SHE can actually see and hear them. As Alice works on her restoration, she gains the trust of The House and unravels clues about the ghosts’ past that will help them move on from the home to become “Settled.” All of this happens as demolition day approaches for the old mansion.

THOUGHTS: This is an absolute gem of a book, with many different layers for middle grade readers to enjoy. Jacqueline Davis successfully creates a unique world of ghosts in which they are classified as Past Dues, Settled Ones, Wanderers, or Captives, depending on their circumstances.  Each ghost appears to Alice in a variety of different forms and with different characteristics (twinkling shards of glass, raindrops, angry squiggles, etc.) that reflect their mood and past. Alice, her parents, and the professors at the college are quirky with unique personalities developed to the author’s descriptions, vocabulary, and writing style for each. This is not a ghost story to scare or thrill, but one to engross middle grade readers in a world of family, the passage of time, character, and storytelling. Highly recommended for all libraries looking for a great story or to expand their readers’ perception of “ghosts.” 

Mystery
Fantasy (Supernatural)

MG – The Lost Library

Stead, Rebecca, and Wendy Mass. The Lost Library. Macmillan, 2023. 978-1-250-83881-0. 224 p. $18.99. Grades 4-7.

This well-narrated audiobook centers on Evan, an inquisitive boy who loves to read, as he approaches fifth-grade graduation. He lives in the sleepy town of Martinville, which lacks a library since the fire that burned down the old one twenty-five years ago. Two authors penned this delightful tale, ideal for any bibliophile to peruse. Multiple narrators flesh out the story: Mortimer the gold striped cat; AL, the assistant librarian who lives with the other library ghosts; and Evan. The town has just started a Little Library, and Evan nabbed some of the books from the box–all of them due the same day as the fire. As he gets deeper into one of his selections, How to Write a Mystery, checked out by M.C. Higgins, he tries to figure out who started the fire back in the 1980’s. He wonders if his father’s reticence and lack of communication has anything to do with the tragedy. With his best friend Rafe at his side, Evan follows the possible clues. In alternating chapters, AL reflects on her past, coming from the orphanage to serve as a fledgling librarian under the firm but kind head librarian, Ms. Skoggins, and conducting the book club for the local school children. The wise and attentive Mortimer, dear cat, provides the feline perspective on what it surveys: both the routine at History House where the ghosts reside and the movements of Evan as he puts together the puzzle pieces that point to his own dad. This book is a cozy homage to books, readers, libraries, and librarians.

THOUGHTS: A great read aloud. I hope this book can work its magic to entice listeners that libraries, books, and librarians are important. These two authors are some of the best, and this book will not disappoint. Pair it with the fine picture book about the beginnings of the Little Library or, if there are no Little Libraries in your neck of the woods, start a project to place them around town. If that isn’t possible, connect this book with a book drive for shelters. I just found out about a church food pantry that offers a book room for families. Or build a list of books where animals are key characters. At the very least, reading this book students will learn what a pseudonym is.

Fantasy (Magical Realism)

Elem. – The Case of the Eerie Heirloom

Cooper, Brigitte Henry. The Case of the Eerie Heirloom. Cecilia Messina. ABDO Books, 2023. 978-1-098-23322-8. 48 p. $22.95. Grades 1-3. 

The Case of the Eerie Heirloom follows Abby and Theo who are known as the Phantom Finders. They are enlisted to help Anya, a local resident, figure out why this older music box has begun playing music after being silent for many years. The clues lead them to the local theater, the Kirby Theater. Can they figure out the mystery behind this music box and help bring Anya peace?

THOUGHTS: This is a cute beginning to read type chapter book. There are words that are highlighted and are different sizes, colors, and fonts from the other words to help the reader as they move through the book. There is no need to read the books in order, so a reader can jump in at any time. Overall a great addition to any elementary collection.

Mystery

YA – After Dark with Roxie Clark

Davis, Brooke Lauren. After Dark with Roxie Clark. Bloomsbury, 2022. 978-1-547-60614-6. 341 p. $18.99. Grades 9-12.

The Clark women of Whistler, Indiana, are rumored to be cursed; they tend to die young, tragically, and memorably. With her popular ghost tour, After Dark with Roxie Clark, 17-year old Roxie puts her flair for the dramatic (and her penchant for all things gruesome) to profitable effect by showcasing stories from her unique family history. She only shares the stories that she’s painstakingly researched, fact-checked, and (okay) sometimes embellished for her customers. She’s less at ease discussing the still-unsolved murder of her older sister’s boyfriend, whose mutilated remains were found a year ago in one of Whistler’s many cornfields. Having dropped out of college, Skylar is now obsessed with solving Collin’s murder herself, leaving no one off the suspect list. She pulls a reluctant Roxie into her investigation, uncovering dangerous and painful secrets that make even the fearless Roxie Clark realize how vulnerable she is.

THOUGHTS: A genuinely cool lead character, slow-burn romance, and deft plot twists will have readers ready to hop aboard Roxie’s tour bus; her ghost stories are the star of this fantastic young adult thriller!

Mystery          Amy V. Pickett, Ridley SD

MG – Ghostlight

Oppel, Kenneth. Ghostlight. Alfred A. Knopf Book for Young Readers, 2022. 978-0-593-48793-8. 400 p. $17.99. Grades 4-6

Ghostlight begins with Rebecca Strand and her father who are keepers of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, and their death in 1839. Gabe tells the story of Rebecca and her father to every tour, embellishing the story and trying to make it sound scarier. Gabe doesn’t believe in ghosts and has no reason to, until he ends up meeting Rebecca. The true story of her death is stranger and more scary than anything that Gabe could have dreamed up, and Rebecca asks him to help her. It turns out that Rebecca and her father were members of an order whose job was to protect the local community from ghosts, and when they died it caused a ghost named Viker to cause havoc. It is now up to Gabe and his friends with the help of Rebecca to fight Viker and save the local community.

THOUGHTS: This was a unique middle grade mystery with relatable characters and a unique plot. Highly recommend this for any middle grade collection.

Mystery          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

MG – The Girl in White

Currie, Lindsay. The Girl in White. Sourcebooks, 2022. 978-1-728-23654-4. 302 p. $16.99. Grades 4-9.

Mallory’s family moves to Eastport, Massachusetts from Chicago to run a haunted restaurant. The town is known for its many graveyards and ghost stories…particularly the story of “Sweet Molly.” The town and its tourists are obsessed with the story of Molly who disappeared after her twin brother, Liam, drowns during a storm. To this day, they claim that Molly returns to haunt the town. However, Mallory is skeptical about the whole ghost story, until she becomes plagued by nightmares, finds herself sleepwalking, and experiences visions of a creepy old lady. The timing of these unsettling encounters occur when the town is preparing to celebrate the anniversary of the legend of Sweet Molly. Can Mallory and her friends solve the mystery of this iconic legend?  

THOUGHTS: The setting of this ghost story is perfect – lighthouses, graveyards, the wild ocean, and quaint seaside town. The ghost story was suspenseful without being too scary.    

Fantasy          Victoria Dziewulski, Plum Borough SD
Mystery

Tags:  Ghosts, Massachusetts, Seaside Legends Friendship, Family

Elem./MG – Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel

Hahn, Mary Downing, and Scott Peterson, Meredith Laxton, and Russ Badgett. Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel. Clarion Books, 2022. 978-0-358-53689-5. 148 p. $12.99. Grades 3-6.

Scott Peterson, Meredith Laxton, and Rudd Badget’s adaptation of Mary Downing Hahn’s Wait Till Helen Comes, is true to the original story of a blended family who move from the city to a church in the countryside. All is not harmonious in the family–the youngest child, Heather (step sister to older siblings Michael and Molly), continually creates tension by tattling and embellishing stories of her half siblings, successfully manipulating her father and stepmother. The tension only rises when Molly is the only one who can see that Heather has begun communicating with Helen, the ghost child of a family who, like Heather’s mother, died in a house fire. The problem is, the ghost child has the reputation of drowning her new friends. Molly has to find a way to get her family to believe in the ghost or save Heather from her fate.

THOUGHTS: This adaptation kept me turning the pages–and I predict it will fly off the shelves into the hands of thrill seekers and reluctant readers alike. The illustration style compliments the ghost story theme, and the adaptors’ combination of first person speech and narration successfully moves the story forward. The story is just scary enough to thrill a middle grade audience, and the evolving relationship within the blended family gives the story heart beyond the thrills. 

Graphic Novel          Hannah J. Thomas, Central Bucks SD