Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story [Paperback]

Mary Downing Hahn (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Beware of Helen...

Heather is such a whiny little brat. Always getting Michael and me into trouble. But since our mother married her father, we're stuck with her...our "poor stepsister" who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire.

But now something terrible has happened. Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home -- a girl named Helen who died with her family in a mysterious fire over a hundred years ago. Now her ghost returns to lure children into the pond...to drown! I don't want to believe in ghosts, but I've followed Heather into the graveyard and watch her talk to Helen. And I'm terrified. Not for myself, but for Heather...

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7 Ghost story fans have a spooky treat in store with Hahn's eerie new novel. Molly, the 12-year-old narrator, and her brother Michael dislike their bratty 5-year-old stepsister Heather and resent the family move to an isolated converted church in the country. The adjourning graveyard frightens Molly, but Heather seems drawn to it. Molly discovers that the ghost of a child (Helen) who died in a fire a century ago wants to lure Heather to her doom. Molly determines to save her stepsister. In so doing, she learns that Heather's strange behavior stems from her feelings of guilt at having accidentally caused her mother's death by playing near a stove and starting a fire. Eventually, Molly wrests Heather from Helen's arms as the ghost attempts to drown them. The girls discover the skeletons of Helen's parents, and their burial finally puts to rest Helen's spirit. This is a powerful, convincing, and frightening tale. The details of everyday life quickly give way to terror. The pace never slackens. Characterization is strong, and descriptive passages set a mood of suspense. There should be a heavy demand from readers who are not "faint at heart." Judy Greenfield, Rye Free Reading Room, N.Y.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A powerful, convincing, and frightening tale...Ghost-story fans have a spooky treat in store." -- -- School Library Journal Starred Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (November 2, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380704420
• ISBN-13: 978-0380704422
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (213 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #571,387 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

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing, July 4, 2004

By 

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

This review is from: Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story (Paperback)

This is an amazingly well-crafted ghost story. Spooky without ever being really scary, it is a good read for anyone of any age.

Molly's mother has remarried, and the new family (including Molly's brother Michael and new step-sister, Heather) moves out to the countryside so that the artist parents can have studio space. Heather, however, is a horrible little brat that tries to make Molly and Michael's life a nightmare. Since she is younger than Molly or Michael, and still hasn't gotten over her mother's death, Molly and Michael always get blamed. Even when Heather starts claiming that she can see a ghost named Helen, who is coming to get Molly...

I have a very low fear tolerance, and still can't watch horror movies (Christine scared the living daylights out of me as a teenager, and I couldn't sleep for days), but I still love this book. I re-read it every year on Halloween for years, and I still enjoy reading it. Any child, teenager, or adult who likes ghost stories should definately pick this one up.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I can't say enough about it!, March 29, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story (Paperback)

I first read this book about 15 years ago. I've probably read it at least 50 times. It wasn't a book - it was an experience. I mean, how often does this happen - a stranger comes up to you because you're holding a book, says they knew they had to talk to you when they saw it, you bond over it and go on to be friends for years. That's what kind of book this is...!

This is a scary book. I wouldn't go near anything or anyone with the name "Helen" or "Harper" for years. This book also got me started reading the other books by Mary Downing Hahn. Every time I went to a library or bookstore, I immediately looked for new books by her.

I know my paperback is around here someplace (I remember the library hardcover's much nicer cover illustration...) but I haven't read it in a while. However, little bits of it or certain phrases from it pop up for me now and then... I think the book got so ingrained in me that I don't even notice it! Parts of it were so vivid and (fittingly) haunting - the link between the girls' names, the ruins of the house, the damage done to Molly and Michael's rooms, the creek that wound around through the forest and near the graveyard before finally leading to Harper Pond. Thinking about it still gives me chills.

Excellent... I can't recomend it enough.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helen's crazy idea, October 20, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story (Paperback)

The book Wait Helen Comes is one of the scariest books I have ever read. It's a mysery and ghost story by Mary Downing Hawn. The book's about a ghost named Helen who died in a fire.A girl named Molly,her step-sister named Heather who's mom died in a fire ,and her brother Michael who thinks everything has a scientifical explanation.
I liked the part when Heather got back the locket from Helen.But I didn't like that the only thing on the letter was don't forget me.But I wonder if Michael will beleve in Helen.
I think that the theme is love is strongest overall. In the book two charecters did horrible things.But they where forgiven by other charecters.So I think that love is strongest overall.