Who's There? (Beech Tree Chapter Books) [Paperback]

Stephanie S. Tolan (Author)

Book Description

Series: Beech Tree Chapter Books | Publication Date: August 1997

When fourteen-year-old Drew and her mute younger brother come to live with their father's estranged relatives after their parents' sudden death, they discover that the house is haunted by ghosts and a deadly family secret.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-A first-rate thriller. Drew Broderick, 14, and her 8-year-old brother, Evan, are trying to put their lives back together after a freak gas explosion kills their parents. Drew desperately wants a home and a family again, and the boy has not spoken since the accident. Thus, she is excited about the discovery of a long lost aunt and the family home, Rose Hill, where they will live. It isn't long before Drew is knee deep in the mystery surrounding her father's break with his family and the accidental deaths of his young brother and stepmother. A new friend, Will, and Evan, who finally breaks through his grief-imposed silence, help Drew to rid Rose Hill of its hateful ghost. Readers will care about and identify with these characters. The plot is logical and well paced, and the dialogue is right on target. The identity of a ghost in Evan's room is a completely unexpected plot twist that only adds to the tension created throughout this book. Tolan ably demonstrates that the essence of a good spine-tingler lies not in gory details, but in the absolute terror involved in walking past a closed door or down a dark hall.
Patricia A. Dollisch, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Unlike the thought-provoking Save Halloween! , Tolan's latest is simply an entertaining ghost story. Fourteen-year-old Drew and her younger brother, Evan, who has been mute since their parents' deaths, arrive at the home of their father's estranged family, hoping to find a place to belong. Their grandfather is ill and difficult, but their Aunt Jocelyn, though reticent about family history, is welcoming enough--until Drew reveals her conviction that there's a ghost in the house. Tolan adds a few neat flourishes (there's an unsettling twist in family history and more than one ghost), along with lots of traditional ghost-story trappings. Ghostly encounters are sufficiently creepy, characters are drawn with care if not depth, and there are no messy loose ends. And without weighty psychologizing, Evan even regains his voice. Stephanie Zvirin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: Beech Tree Books (August 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688152899
• ISBN-13: 978-0688152895
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,775,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars English Assignment, March 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Who's There? (Hardcover)

I just finished reading Who's There?, written by Stephanie Tolan. One thing I liked about it was how the author made Drew and her aunt Jocelyn so understanding to her brother Evan who stopped talking since their parent's death. The first time Jocelyn met Evan instead of making him talk she says, "Grief's an individual thing. Young or old, we cope the best we can. No one can say for anyone else how much time it takes (p.17)." In real life it wouldn't be like that.

I think the theme of this book is that no matter how well you've covered up a crime, you'll end up getting caught any way. In this book Amelia acted all nice and everybody liked her, so she thought no one would think she killed her stepson, but she was still caught. I agree with this theme because I think it's true. You can't do something bad and expect to get away with it. It relates to my life in many different ways. One is that I try not to lie so much because I usually get nervous thinking what will happen when I get caught.

I might recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading ghost stories. It was a pretty good book because it had a nice ending, but the beginning was sort of boring. The author was just listing facts about Drew and Evan. Overall the book was good because there weren't many hard words and it was easy to follow along with the story.

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!! BEST I'VE READ IN A LONG TIME!!, December 19, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Who's There? (Hardcover)

Who's There deserves all 5 stars and maybe more!! I started reading it at 8:30 and I didn't stop till 11:30!!! At the beginning, it's a bit slow, but when you get into it, I'm telling you, you can't put it down! The author actually gets you so absorbed in what's happening that you shiver at the scary parts and you don't notice anything outside the book. It's also scary/mystery, but I recommend it for anyone who's looking for a really good book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Pretty Interesting I think, December 1, 2003

By 

Clint Wilson (Purcell, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who's There? (Beech Tree Chapter Books) (Paperback)

I really liked this book. I read it all this weekend. It was full of suspense and a little humor. I recommend this book to people from the age of 8 to 100.