The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story [School & Library Binding]

Mary Downing Hahn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1990 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

When Ashley discovers a turn-of-the-century doll it is just the first of several puzzling events that lead her through the hedge and into a twilight past where she meets Louise, an ailing child whose beloved doll has mysteriously disappeared.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After the death of her father, Ashley and her mother move to a new town to start over. Ashley doesn't mind their small, second-floor apartment, but she takes an immediate dislike to grumpy Miss Cooper, the owner of the house. Fascinated by the tangled, overgrown rose garden in the back yard, Ashley and her new friend Kristi explore the neglected, forbidden area. When she and Kristi unearth an antique doll buried beneath one of the bushes, Ashley soon finds herself entangled in a ghostly past and its ties to the present. In evidence is Hahn's usual detail-oriented prose, which deftly sets the stage for intrigue; the author of Wait Till Helen Comes and other acclaimed books has created a captivating fantasy that explores friendship, grief and the interconnectedness of events in time. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-- A young girl helps her cantankerous elderly landlord to resolve a childhood act that caused the woman lifelong guilt. Ashley follows a white cat back in time and meets Louisa, a girl who is dying and who longs for her beloved doll--a doll that Ashley and her friend Kristi have found buried in Miss Cooper's garden. In the end Ashley, Kristi, and Miss Cooper visit Louisa; the woman is able to make am mends with her childhood friend, and Ashley begins to accept her father's death. Hahn's portrayal of crotchety Miss Cooper is expertly drawn, giving vivid insight into why she acts and lives as she does. Ashley, her widowed mother, and Kristi are also fully realized characters. When Hahn sticks to her story, it moves along at a steady, scary clip. However, when she lapses into lengthy descriptions of flowers, birds, and landscape, she slows the pace of the story rather than creates the intended atmosphere. Ashley's first-person narrative often gets bogged down in a flowery adult voice, particularly in the descriptions: "As still as the cherub behind me, I watched the leaves sway in the breeze. Sunlight and shadow mottled the ground, and the weeds whispered to themselves, lulling me like distant voices of children at play." Still, it's an imaginative ghost story, fairly predictable, but with a completely satisfying ending. --Trev Jones, "School Library Journal"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 128 pages
• Publisher: San Val (April 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0833598783
• ISBN-13: 978-0833598783
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,621,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mary Downing Hahn, a former children's librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Deep and Dark and Dangerous and The Old Willis Place. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her two cats, Oscar and Rufus.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars On Healing the Past and the Present, April 4, 2003

By 

Tracy Robert (Albuquerque, NM United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Doll in the Garden (Paperback)

I purchased this book out of my personal interest as an adult doll/doll book collector, a collector of children's books, and an elementary teacher. I found this chapter book for middle grade (4th-8th grades)students to hold a solid story that kept me reading until the end. I would definitely recommend it to age appropriate readers who are interested in dolls, fantasy, mystery, or those who are recovering from a death in the family (but not too recently).

In this book, Ashley and her mother move to a house in the suburbs to begin a new life after the death of Ashley's father. The house they move to is a portion of a larger house owned by a cranky older lady (Miss Cooper) who constantly threatens to throw them out. Miss Cooper is particularly after Ashley, who wanders off to explore the garden around the house. During one of her explorations, Ashley and a younger neighbor discover a buried antique doll and Miss Cooper's buried source of regret. Ashley challenges Miss Cooper's crankiness in order to return the doll to its orginal owner and learns about making peace with people who have died.

I enjoyed this story for the fantasy element. Well written characters drew me into the story, and didn't make the fantasy seem too unrealistic. I also really liked the realistic discussion of feelings that occur when someone you love/are close to dies. This multilayered gem is worth the purchase price for interested readers.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A spooky, moving story, July 4, 2004

By 

Megan "Megan" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Doll in the Garden (Paperback)

Another well-crafted ghost story from Mary Downing Hahn, this book follows the adventures of Ashley, who moves into a rented appartment and starts exploring the overgrown garden. She comes across a doll, long buried, and sets out to discover why it is there, and what the mysterious cries that she hears at night are.

Not a scary ghost story, it is very moving and I found myself crying at a few spaces. It might be a little cliche for an adult reader, but it is a great read for a younger reader who is interested in ghost stories.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Book to Read, January 5, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Doll in the Garden: A Ghost Story (Hardcover)

In my opinion, I think the book The Doll in the Garden is very interesting.

The main character, Ashley , finds a doll in the garden of her new house and

soon discovers that it belonged to a girl who is now dead. An old woman snatches

the doll and soon afterwards Ashley finds that she is meeting girl who owed the

doll. The most exciting part in the story is when Ashley suddenly travels back in

time when she goes to a certain place in the garden. It's a good book because there

also is a strange cat in the garden. Also it is a little scary and adventurous. In

conclusion, this was a thrilling book.