From School Library Journal
Grade 5-7-From the author of The Haunting of Holroyd Hill (Penguin, 1997) comes another mystery/ghost story that involves an 11-year-old girl who is unhappy with her family's recent move, a connection to the Civil War, and spooky midnight encounters. Abby misses sunny Florida when she and her mother move in with relatives in the upstate New York town of Stratton Falls. The year is 1944, and Abby's father has been declared missing in action in Europe. A trail of wet footprints leads the girl to the ghost of Felicia Stratton, who drowned 80 years ago while her father was fighting in the Civil War, and who supposedly appears when someone is about to die. Has she returned to warn Abby? Is it about her father? Abby falls through the ice, but is saved by the ghost and her father is discovered alive in Germany. Seabrooke does a nice job of re-creating the World War II era, with ration coupons, blackouts, oleo, Glenn Miller, and lots of Ovaltine. The novel is formulaic, but diverting. While characters are not fully developed, the plot is fast-paced and suspenseful. An easy read that will appeal to fans of Betty Ren Wright's mysteries.
Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
For 11-year-old Abby, adjusting to Stratton Falls, New York, is even more difficult than anticipated. She misses her father, in Germany fighting the war, and her warm Florida home; her cousin Chad is more mean than friendly; and she's often lonely. One night mysterious wet footprints appear in the hall, and Abby wonders if the ghost stories about the house are true. Enlisting Chad's help, Abby discovers a long-ago tragedy involving a young girl, and on Christmas Day, past and present dramatically come together, unexpectedly resulting in positive changes and realizations. Although the climactic scene is fairly intense (it details the emotional and physical struggles of Abby's accidental near-drowning), fans of history and mystery up to the challenge will enjoy the novel's diverse characters (Abby is likable and sympathetically portrayed), well-paced suspense, period detail, and descriptive, expressive prose. As a bonus, the author supplies some easy-to-do craft ideas by describing Abby's dollhouse furniture project, which uses common household items in creative ways.
Shelle RosenfeldCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
