From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6?Christina Rose has been interested in the paranormal ever since she saw her mother's apparition the night the woman died in a plane crash. She knows that ghosts are quiet and shy, not scary, and has had several experiences to prove it. She and her skeptical brother, Danny, are both in for a surprise when they move with their father from New York to California and into a haunted house. Roberto, the boy across the street, tells them the story of the bloody hands and the ghostly widow. However, Professor Barrymore, the parapsychic investigator next door, is convinced that there is no ghost, merely a poltergeist, and suggests that Christina record all her experiences. This book is the result. The girl's first-person narrative is lively and filled with humor. As she tells her tale, she also records ghost stories told by her friends and family?about 10 in all. (Warning: one of them is quite gruesome). Her brother is credited with the occasional line drawings that appear throughout. Deem does a marvelous job of creating and sustaining believable and unique voices for the characters. The theme of coping with death is present in various forms, but is handled lightly. Children will relish this book for the ghost stories, which all fit smoothly into the narrative.?Darcy Schild, Schwegler Elementary School, Lawrence, KS
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 4^-6. When twins Christina and Danny and their father move to California to make a fresh start following the mother's death, the new house feels haunted and the neighbors (a psychic, her son, and a professor of the paranormal) seem a bit odd. Christina fears her mother's ghost (who has appeared to her in the past) may be angry with the family for resettling. The professor urges all to record exactly what they see and hear so that the evidence can be evaluated. The author's explanation (Danny's anger at leaving his dog behind creates a force field that causes poltergeist activities) may disappoint some hoping for a grislier scenario, but Deem wisely leaves several loose ends for readers to ponder. The inclusion of some Christina Rossetti poetry and the generally humorous tone are added bonuses for a title that will be a popular choice with ghost story fans.
Kay Weisman
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