All the Lovely Bad Ones [Hardcover]

Mary Downing Hahn (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Travis and his sister, Corey, can’t resist a good trick—so when they learn that their grandmother’s sleepy Vermont inn has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little “haunting” of their own. Scaring the guests proves to be great fun, and before long, the inn is filled with tourists and ghost hunters eager for a glimpse of the supernatural.
But Travis and Corey soon find out that they aren’t the only ghosts at Fox Hill Inn. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Restless, spiteful spirits swarm the inn, while a dark and terrifying presence stalks the halls and the old oak grove on the inn’s grounds. To lay the ghosts to rest, Travis and Corey must first discover the dark history of Fox Hill and the horrors visited on its inhabitants years earlier.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–7—Travis, 12, and his younger sister, Corey, are high-spirited youngsters who love to play tricks on unsuspecting targets. When they discover that their grandmother's Vermont inn, Fox Hill, is reportedly haunted, they can't wait to cook up some ghostly manifestations to scare the guests and liven up their summer vacation. But their pranks turn terrifyingly real when they awaken Ada Jaggs, an evil and vengeful spirit. The shadows of children she tormented and mistreated in the past when the county poor farm was located at Fox Hill are also roused. Events soon spiral out of control, frightening the staff and guests of the inn, and Travis and Corey must discover a way to get rid of Ada and release the children to their final rest. Part of this plan includes opening her grave—a task that, of course, must be done at midnight. Hahn has written another fast-paced ghost story that readers will relish, shivering all the while. An interesting thread is the comparison of the lively children whom Ada hated and targeted with Travis and Corey—all are boisterous, energetic kids with a mischievous gleam in their eye.—Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Hahn has mastered the art of the not-too-creepy ghost story for upper-elementary-school readers, and this latest offering combines chills, thrills, and poignant historical fiction. Twelve-year-old Travis and his younger sister, Corey, are spending the summer with their grandmother at her Vermont bed-and-breakfast. Born mischief makers, the siblings hear that the inn is rumored to be haunted and decide to manufacture some ghostly effects for the guests. Unfortunately, they arouse the real ghosts: young boys who died in the early 1800s, when the property was the county poor farm, and Miss Ada, the evil spinster who caused their deaths. The rambunctious young ghosts cause a lot of ruckus, but they are ultimately endearing beings, whereas Miss Ada is deliciously horrible. Readers will learn about the history of poor farms while reveling in the genuinely creepy hauntings Hahn describes so well. The truly scary cover may deter some readers; reassure them this title belongs to the same comfortably spooky genre as The Doll in the Garden (1986) and Wait till Helen Comes (1989). Grades 4-7. --Debbie Carton

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books; None edition (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618854673
• ISBN-13: 978-0618854677
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,838 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

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly complex; wonderful for a long read aloud, September 9, 2008

By 

bhr "birdwoman" (Bryn Mawr, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: All the Lovely Bad Ones (Hardcover)

I have two boys. One of them is just about 8. This book is way above his reading level, but the story is wonderful!!

A brief synopsis: two kids - older tweens - go to stay at their grandmother's "haunted" inn. The two kids remind me of Fred and George from Harry Potter; they're just very mischievous. And their mischief wakes the ghosts at the inn.

There are "good" ghosts and "bad" ghosts, and it becomes apparent quickly which is which. There is a good mystery, a great amount of historical ambiance, and a very good personification of evil.

My boys love spooky stories. This one TOTALLY fit the bill. Not gross, not at all, just scary. The plot was so good that it captivated me, the out-loud reader.

I would highly recommend this book to kids in middle school, or, if you don't mind the subject matter, to younger boys. I find stuff like this increases my kids' desire to read as well as their vocab and attention span. But it IS scary, very much so! So, kids who are sensitive should avoid it.

(*)>

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All The Lovely Bad Ones, November 20, 2008

By 

C. Lyons (Oxford, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: All the Lovely Bad Ones (Hardcover)

This was Mary Downing Hahn's BEST book yet!! I have passed my copy on to several others and they have really LOVED it as much as I have!! I can't wait to read it again!!!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, May 28, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All the Lovely Bad Ones (Hardcover)

Printed on the cover is "A Ghost Story." It is - complete with creaking floors, blood-curdling screams, and dark groves of trees. ALL THE LOVELY BAD ONES is your typical haunted house tale.

Sent to spend the summer with their grandmother, Travis and his sister, Corey, are in for the scare of their lives. As soon as they learn that the Vermont inn owned by their grandmother is haunted, Travis and Corey are thrilled to be there. Unfortunately, Grandmother has other thoughts. She really isn't interested in playing up the haunted angle to her guest, but Travis thinks that would be just the ticket to increase business.

Travis and Corey have a plan. They will use some costumes, a little make-up, and a blue flashlight to make just the right combination of sights and sounds to stir up some interest in the old inn. When word gets around that the long-dormant ghosts of Fox Hill Inn are active again, business will be booming. However, it was not part of the plan that the kids' antics would actually encourage the real ghosts to make a return of a very real kind.

Readers of Mary Downing Hahn's latest mystery are in for a treat. The ghosts in this story are not ready to settle down until some of the wrongs of the past are righted. Until that happens, the inhabitants of the old inn are victims of mysterious wild rampages that destroy their rooms and possessions, vicious physical assaults, and endless taunts and threats. Life at the inn will not be peaceful until the spirits of the past are appeased.

ALL THE LOVELY BAD ONES is an excellent addition to any mystery collection. It is especially perfect for middle grade readers looking for a quick read and a good scare.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"