Grades 4-7. When Ollie takes an old book from a crazed woman, she discovers the sinister history of Smoke Valley farm. So many odd disappearances goinGrades 4-7. When Ollie takes an old book from a crazed woman, she discovers the sinister history of Smoke Valley farm. So many odd disappearances going back generations...
And then her class takes a field trip to the farm. So many scarecrows. Odd workers. And then a mist rolls in and cell phones drop connections. She'll be happy she has that book because the odds are against her. Nobody has ever outsmarted the Smiling Man....more
Grades 4-8. A sinister spin on a Changeling tale. What if your new baby brother had terrible internal birth defects and someone offered to fix it likeGrades 4-8. A sinister spin on a Changeling tale. What if your new baby brother had terrible internal birth defects and someone offered to fix it like it never happened? What if it meant replacing that baby with another exact replica? Steve wrestles with this ethical question as a wasp queen and her army build the ultimate nest. Reminiscent of David Almond and Neil Gaiman. Seriously creepy magical realism....more
Grades 4(?) 5-7. Because this story begins with a suicide, I wasn't sure how to choose an audience. Pram is a young girl who lives with her two elderlGrades 4(?) 5-7. Because this story begins with a suicide, I wasn't sure how to choose an audience. Pram is a young girl who lives with her two elderly aunts who run a retirement home. She has never met her parents. Her mother died the day she was born and her father is a sailor who may never have known she existed.
Pram has a special ability-- she can see ghosts. But while she is very comfortable in the world of the non-living, her limited contact with the outside world has made it difficult to make living friends. All that changes when a social worker comes and demands that Pram attend school.
Pram meets Clarence, whose mother also died. They visit a medium who discovers Pram's ability and decides to kidnap the children.
The ending of the book seemed to wrap up prematurely/abruptly-- leaving room for a sequel. The character changes/perceptions change so quickly that the ending doesn't seem completely genuine....more
Grades 2-4. I was hoping this short book would be a nice transitional read I could give to students who wanted something scary but not too scary. The Grades 2-4. I was hoping this short book would be a nice transitional read I could give to students who wanted something scary but not too scary. The text is very sparse. I am not sure why there is so much empty space on the page. The illustrations are small, but helpful. The vocabulary is more advanced then I expected (intention, conveniently, pinnacle-- in the first 5 pages alone).
Choose one of the Preller Scary Story collections instead....more
Grades 5-8. Two orphaned children travel to a rundown English manor house to earn a living as servants. They are warned to avoid the "sourwoods," wherGrades 5-8. Two orphaned children travel to a rundown English manor house to earn a living as servants. They are warned to avoid the "sourwoods," where the house sits amid an eerily quiet forest where no animals or people seem to ever survive. The focal point of the property and the story is a gnarled old tree that seems to be a part of the house. A mysterious green door leads to a forbidden room that is closely guarded by the residents. It isn't long before Molly and Kip discover the sinister secrets of the tree and the house. Residents that grow sicker by the day but cannot leave and a dark man that walks the halls and harvests nightmares....more
Grades K-2. A nominee for the 2013 Buckeye Children's Book Award. Jasper Rabbit like to eat carrots by the ton-- until they start following him aroundGrades K-2. A nominee for the 2013 Buckeye Children's Book Award. Jasper Rabbit like to eat carrots by the ton-- until they start following him around like garden zombies. Great opportunity to discuss the mood of a book by looking at the color choices the illustrator made. We also had fun comparing "real life" and "imagination"-- until we got to the end and realized we were tricked!...more
Jack, a boy with severe asthma moves into an old, dilapidated house with his mother after the death of his father. He has the ability to sense spiritsJack, a boy with severe asthma moves into an old, dilapidated house with his mother after the death of his father. He has the ability to sense spirits when he touches old objects. The house has the spirits of 4 children living in it, and an evil, jaded mother ghost who tries to replace Jack's real mother.
I'd probably give the book about 2.5 stars. I never bonded with Jack, and having had asthma myself, know that I would NEVER move into an old, dusty house, even if I could sense ghosts. Obviously the book was good enough that I finished it-- and I think that kids who want a spooky story with a malevolent ghost will really enjoy it. Grades 6-8....more
I grudgingly started reading this book because another teen-aged novel had won Newbery instead of something younger for kids that actually read NewberI grudgingly started reading this book because another teen-aged novel had won Newbery instead of something younger for kids that actually read Newbery books. I'm tired of giving teen books to 3rd/4th grade teachers.
However, I really enjoyed the book. It really was like a graveyard Jungle Book-- a boy being raised by ghosts. The boy's identity a mystery, and his would-be killer searching the world for him for over 14 years.
The end of the book moved quickly, and with many loose ends. I still have many questions about the boy's identity and what the honor guard is and who/what Silas is. How on Earth can a 15 year-old who has never had but a couple of days at school make it in the "real" world. Especially now that his powers are gone. Will there be a sequel?
I'm also having a hard time putting my finger on what grade to recommend this for. In parts of the book it seems like a humorous bedtime story, to be enjoyed by all ages. And then there is a killer chasing down boys and girls and murder. I guess I'm not used to that in books for younger kids. Sure, characters die of diseases or accidents-- but they aren't murdered. And there wasn't a lot of gore in this book other than the decaying ghouls.
All-in-all, I'm not sure what to make of it. As an adult, I mostly enjoyed it. Kids probably will, too....more
Kate Hastings
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