SNY |
The Magic Nation Thing
(age 8-11) by Zilpha Keatley Snyder magic ... mystery ... spooky Publisher comments: Abby O'Malley is a girl who likes things to make sense. School makes sense, and her best friend Paige makes sense (most of the time), but Abby's flighty mother never makes sense. Abby's mom seems to think that she and Abby are descended from a line of witches, and that they have special powers—psychic powers that don't make sense at all. The problem is, Abby knows that she can do certain things that other people can't. Sometimes, when she holds an object in her hand, she's overpowered by sounds and pictures that show where the owner is and what he or she is doing. Abby thinks of this as her "magic nation," because that is what her kindergarten teacher told her it was called. Now 11, Abby has an inkling that her teacher may have been saying it was her "imagination," which unfortunately, she knows it is not. Now some things are happening in her mother's detective agency—cases where Abby's magic nation thing might come in handy. But does Abby want to admit that such a sensible girl could have such an unsensible power? |
BEL |
The Johnny Dixon Mysteries (age 8-11) by John Bellairs magic ... spooky ... mystery Thirteen-year-old Johnny Dixon joins Professor Childermass to take on the forces of evil...both natural and supernatural. title: Secret of the Underground Room title: The Eyes of the Killer Robot title: The Mummy, the Will, and the Crypt title: The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost title: The Spell of the Sorcerer's Skull |
STR |
Hey Dad, Get a Life!
(age 8-11) by Todd Strasser family ... spooky When a supernatural presence begins doing favors for Kelly and her younger sister Sasha, they realize that the ghost of their dead father has returned to watch over them. |
KIN |
A Treasury of Spooky Stories
(age 8-11) by Kin folklore ... short stories ... spooky A collection of modern and traditional stories about ghosts and other spooky things, by such authors as Margaret Mahy, Judith Gorog, and Virginia Hamilton. |
CHR |
Favor for a Ghost
(age 8-11) by Matt Christopher animals ... friendship ... spooky When the ghost of his friend Billy returns to beg him to move the grave of his former dog next to his own, Lenny tries to find a way to fulfill the request despite the opposition of the dog's second owner. |
WRI |
The Ghost in Room 11
(age 8-11) by Betty Ren Wright school ... mystery ... spooky Catalog: When his family moves to a small town near Milwaukee, Matt's efforts to fit into his new fourth-grade class are complicated by his poor spelling and his encounter with the ghost of one of the school's former teachers. |
WRI |
Ghosts Beneath Our Feet
(age 8-11) by Betty Ren Wright mystery ... spooky Catalog: During a summer in an abandoned mining town, Katie's relationship with a rebellious stepbrother improves as they probe the past to find out why there seem to be ghosts, literally, beneath their feet. |
WRI |
A Ghost in the Window
(age 8-11) by Betty Ren Wright mystery ... spooky Catalog: A man who died in a car crash after allegedly stealing $50,000 from a bank, tries to communicate with the family through Meg's dreams. Sequel to "The Secret Window." |
WRI |
Christina's Ghost
(age 8-11) by Betty Ren Wright mystery ... spooky Christina's summer in a spooky, isolated Victorian house with her grumpy uncle turns into a ghostly adventure. |
WRI |
The Ghost Witch
(age 8-11) by Betty Ren Wright spooky Jenny and her mother are all set to move into old Miss Nagle's mansion when Jenny discovers the house is haunted. |
IBB |
The Great Ghost Rescue
(age 8-11) by Eva Ibbotson humor ... adventure ... spooky Humphrey is a small ghost with a big problem. His family has lost their home, and they're off to find a new haunting ground. But soon Humphrey and his parents discover that ghosts all over the country are being turned out as dank castles are converted to cheerful tourist hotels. Humphrey knows something must be done to help the homeless ghosts. And with the help of a sympathetic schoolboy named Rick, maybe he can do something to aid all the ghosts of England after all. . . . |
HOW |
The Celery Stalks at Midnight
(age 8-11) by James Howe spooky ... mystery ... humor Chester the cat is more than ever convinced that Bunnicula is a vampire when there is a harvest of white vegetables on the morning after the night that Bunnicula was probably wandering through the neighborhood. |
HOW |
Howliday Inn
(age 8-11) by James Howe humor ... mystery ... spooky Harold and Chester are sent to the Chateau Bow-Wow when the Monroe family goes on vacation. When a French poodle involved in a messy love triangle disappears, Chester and Harold enter the crime-detection business. sequel: Return to Howliday Inn |
FLE |
The Midnight Horse
(age 8-11) by Sid Fleischman adventure ... spooky ... magic On a coach bound for Cricklewood, the orphan boy Touch caught his first glimpse of the haunt named The Great Chaffalo. According to rumor, he was once a famous magician who could turn a pile of straw into a horse. Now, Touch needs the ghost's help in order to escape his wicked great-uncle. So, with an armload of straw and a determined spirit, Touch makes his plea to The Great Chaffalo, and, magically, a horse appears! But can magic save Touch when his great-uncle's schemes grow even more villainous? |