Synopses & Reviews
The brutal murder of two teenage girls the summer after Nora Cunningham's junior year in high school is a life-changing shock for Nora and an entire community. Based on an actual crime in 1955, this novel is at once a mystery and a coming of age story. Nora feels the certainties of her life--her friendships, her religion, her prudence, her resolve to find a boyfriend taller than she is--thrown into turmoil. Most people in Elmgrove, Maryland, share the comforting conviction that Buddy Novak, an unpopular boy who had every reason to want his ex-girlfriend dead, is responsible for the killings. Nora agrees at first, then begins to doubt Buddy's guilt, and finally comes to believe him innocent--the lone dissenting voice among her friends and all the adults in town. Told from several different perspectives, including that of the murderer, the real story is gradually revealed to the reader. Author Mary Downing Hahn grew up in Maryland in the 1950s; acclaimed for her ghost stories, she considers this novel an attempt to exorcise some ghosts from her own life.
Review
A Kirkus Best Teen Book of 2012 * "An engrossing exploration of how a murder affects a community."—
Kirkus Reviews, starred review "This is a thinking-teen's mystery."—
Bulletin "Hahn emphasizes the universality of growing up and facing death."—
Horn Book * "This wrenching novel offers an aggregate portrait of the effects of loss and grief, including both the strengthening and dissolution of relationships."—
Publishers Weekly, starred review "This creepy tale slowly and craftily builds tension . . . It has the added feature of offering a unique snapshot of life in the 1950's."—
School Library Journal "The veracity of this tragedy raises the stakes for readers who are already fans of Hahn's supernatural fiction, and the coming-of-age component of Nora's shattered naïveté is all the more searing."—
BulletinReview
"Good, well-constructed entertainment." —Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Ghost story veteran Hahn (Deep and Dark and Dangerous) spins another novel filled with things that moan and creak in the night. In an old, reputedly haunted bed and breakfast in the woods of Vermont, the chandeliers swing seemingly at random. The lights blink on and off, the radio zips through its stations at top volume, and "shadows race around the walls, laughing and taunting [guests] with insults relating to the size of [their] rear end[s]." What sets this apart from a run-of-the-mill spooky tale is not simply that the protagonists, 11-year-old Corey and 12-year-old Travis, have provoked the dead by faking a haunting, but that they feel obliged to help resolve the spirits' problems and lay them to rest, no matter what the cost. When Corey and Travis discover the inn was an poorhouse in the 19th century, and that the ghosts that now roam its corridors were children who died there at the hands of abusive owners, readers might be inspired by Hahn's colorful historical investigation to learn more about what actually happened during those times. In addition to crafting some genuinely spine-chilling moments, the author takes a unique approach to a well-traversed genre."—
Publishers Weekly "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."--School Library Journal
"Travis and his sister Corey love to make mischief, so a summer's stay at their grandmother's reputedly haunted Vermont inn holds much promise. A flashlight, makeup, a filmy white scarf, and some well-timed screams allow the kids to freak out the other visitors, but soon enough the game isn't funny: "You and your sister may have begun this as a game," says one of the guests, "but the ghosts are awake now. Putting them back to sleep will not be easy." Hahn expertly combines the comedy of spectral hijinks and bumbling ghost-busters with a dark backstory of abused children and the malevolent guardian who torments them even in death. Here's an author who really understands how to put a scary story together, unafraid even to use an appearance by Old Nick himself for an extremely satisfying finale."—The Horn Book
Review
Winner of the 2010 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery
“As always, [Hahn] is brilliant at establishing tone—eerie, creepy and surreal. The ‘cold case mystery, the over-the-top fun of the Magic Forest scenes and the even darker mysteries of friendship and school life will make this a sure hit.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Another well-done, action-packed mystery from Hahn. . . . Just the right amount of frightening and dangerous elements to entice readers.”—School Library Journal
Review
Hahn succeeds in raising questions that are as valuable as they are vexing Publishers Weekly
Plenty of action and page-turning suspense.
School Library Journal, Starred
Review
Stormy weather, a deep, dark lake, and many unanswered questions (keep) mystery and ghost story fans turning pages right up to the end."TeensReadToo.com
Eerie, suspenseful Booklist, ALA
Review
"a hard-hitting Civil War novel...honest grapplings with complex issues...will win readers' interest and sympathy from the outset" Publishers Weekly
"vivid and accurate portrayl of the period...strong setting...entertaining and thought-provoking...a strong adventure...that resonates with universal themes." THE HORN BOOK Horn Book
"A memorable journey...a boy whom readers will care about, a first-rate story...an essential addition to Civil War collections." KIRKUS REVIEWS Kirkus Reviews
"wonderfully written story peopled by believable, three-dimensional characters...fine storytelling and characterization hook readers from the onset...an excellent choice." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL School Library Journal
"brings readers up close . . . the action is fast and furious, and kids will be caught up in the story" BOOKLIST Booklist, ALA
"Even if the fiction shelves are drooping with middle-grade Civil War novels, find room to squeeze in one more." THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN'S BOOKS The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"well-written...Reluctant younger teens might find this book an easy, enjoyable read." VOYA (VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
Review
"An intriguing read." —
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Page-turning suspense." —School Library Journal
"An original fantasy/horror adventure...Hahn's fans and devotees of Emily Rodda's many series will be heartily pleased." —Kirkus Reviews
"A fast-paced, suspenseful fantasy in which an appealing heroine stands against forces seemingly beyond her control." —Booklist, ALA
"Hahn's many fans will come right along on this author's first foray into magical fantasy." —Horn Book
"An excellent start for uninitiated fantasy readers." —Horn Book Guide, Pointer
Review
"Readers can hardly help rooting for the two girls and hoping that these two appealing characters do remain best friends for a long time." School Library Journal, Starred
Review
"Anna is a character filled with life and energy whose further adventures would be most welcome." Kirkus Reviews
In this sequel to Anna All Year Round (1999), nine-year-old Anna travels to spend a week in the country with Aunt Aggie and Uncle George. She is ecstatic (since all her Baltimore friends have left on vacations) until she discovers that her aunt and uncle have taken ina young orphan named Theodore. The rivalry between the children results in a series of pranks, but eventually the children become good friends. Unlike the earlier, more episodic title, the action here is more focused and the characters more fleshed out. Particularly interesting is the contrast between Anna's mother (a rigid woman with definite Old World ideas about ladylike behavior) and Aunt Aggie, who allows Anna to wear overalls for play and encourages her to have fun. The details in the setting (early-twentieth-century Baltimore, Washington and rural Prince Georges County) add to the richness of the text, as do the illustrations by Diane De Groat. A good choice for easy-chapter-book readers, especially those who have met Anna before.
Booklist, ALA
The nine-year-old protagonist introduced in Anna All Year Round (Clarion, 1999) is facing a long, hot Baltimore summer with no vacation plans or funds. Then her parents spring a surprise on her: she may spend a week at her uncle's farm. Anna continues throughout the novel to deal with opposing emotions. She's initially thrilled to be escaping the boredom of the city, but then fears being so far from her parents. After arriving at the farm, she gloomily discovers another guest, her uncle's nephew Theodore. He torments her continuously, calling her a city slicker, locking her in the henhouse, etc. Not being a meek or mousy child, Anna one-ups him each and every time. When the week has ended, they've come to a respectful understanding. Anna then faces her mother's horror at finding her daughter freckled, dirty, and wearing overalls. The novel is rollicking fun and gives a great glimpse of life in pre-World War I America. Readers will love the battle of wills Anna and Theodore fight before becoming friends, and their humorous escapades during the week together. De Groat's full-page sketch for each of the 13 chapters is perfectly in tune with the mood of the story. The novel is a good next step for readers graduating from "American Girl" stories.
School Library Journal
Once again, Hahn defies nostalgia with both the immediacy and the honesty of her up-close, present tense telling.
Horn Book
Review
Based on the childhood of the author's mother, this engaging episodic novel follows the everyday adventures of third-grader Anna Sherwood growing up in pre-WWI Baltimore. Anna is "ein kluges Mädchen"-a clever girl, in her mother's native German-who likes reading better than arithmetic ("All you can do with numbers is make prob-lems. But you can make stories and poems with words"); she's also something of a tomboy. The novel moves from fall to summer as Anna conquers long division (having previously resorted to cheating); battles with her mother over the color of a new winter coat (Anna wants bright red, Mother wants "drab and boring" brown); "split[s] her chin wide open" roller-skating down the steepest hill in Baltimore on a dare; and is judged grown-up enough to ride the trolley downtown to have lunch with her father. All the chapters are informed by Hahn's able evo-cation of time and place-a Baltimore of groceries delivered by horse-drawn wagon and streets lit by gas lamps-and of the specific characters who inhabit it. Many of the episodes are driven by the tension between Anna and her strict, old-fashioned mother (in one of the best chapters, "Anna's Birthday Surprise," Anna, desperate to have a birthday party despite Mother's refusal, secretly issues invitations and then, with a mixture of hope and dread, waits to see what will happen when her friends arrive); the tension is always defused by the unqualified love between Anna and her father. Hahn's use of the present tense to tell Anna's stories helps keep nostalgia at bay, as does the energetic, just-dashed-off quality of deGroat's rough pencil sketches.
Horn Book
"powerful depiction of the childhood emotions that accompany the inevitable process of growing up...timeless... young readers should find Anna's experiences meaningful." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Hahn is a master of the supernatural tale, and her legions of fans will revel in this chilling volume, reminiscent of Dickens and Poe." —
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"A deliciously spine-tingling tale that even the most reluctant readers will enjoy." —School Library Journal
"A truly scary period tale." —Horn Book
Review
"A ghost story par excellence in which a difficult seven-year-old is drawn into a frightening relationship with the ghost of a dead child." —
Booklist, ALA, starred review
"Genuinely scary, complete with dark secrets from the past, unsettled graves, and a very real ghost." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"An unusually scary, well-crafted ghost fantasy." -- Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Signature spooky Hahn sends appropriate shivers up the reader's spine ... satisfyingly chilly." —
Kirkus Reviews "Hahn offers another eerie, suspenseful ghost story filled with family secrets." —Booklist, ALA
"Classic mystery elements ... add to the suspense and keep the well-plotted story moving along to a satisfying conclusion." —School Library Journal
"A compact and approachable shiveriness ... an easygoing vacation read." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Review
"Hahn is a master at...suspense....Kids will love this; it's just the right mix of chilling and thrilling." —BOOKLIST Booklist, ALA
"The young characters...are sympathetic and believable...Spooky, but with an underlying sweetness." — KIRKUS REVIEWS Kirkus Reviews
"Hahn's sure hand at haunting is evident...creepy and enjoyable...it'll need no ghostly assistance to fly off the shelves" —BCCB Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Masterfully constructed...taut, spooky, and fast-paced with amazingly credible, memorable characters...riveting...a story of friendship and redemption" —School Library Journal, Starred
"a mystery intertwined with a ghost story...a delicate message of guilt, forgiveness, loyalty, and friendship...a satisfying ending." —VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
Review
p>"Thoughtful, entertaining fare for the middle grades." —
Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
Review
"an involving story that raises many of the issues that led to the Civil War" —
School Library Journal"Hahn has a marvelous touch when it comes to manipulating her story and heightening the tension in a way that keeps readers on the edge of their seats." —Booklist, ALA
"fast-moving, exciting" —Children's Book Review Service
Review
"There is plenty of action and page-turning suspense (and) much to ponder and reflect on as well." School Library Journal, Starred
Review
"Hahn deftly creates the proper atmosphere and setting for this spine chiller." —Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Another solid and enjoyable performance from this popular, award-winning author." —Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
Review
"Hahn expertly shows how the expectations of others influence Gordy's behavior, as he struggles to step away from his bad old self; in the end he takes that step, though not without a realistic amount of backsliding….While Gordy's anger is the dominant feeling here, flashes of humor and deftly inserted historical details of the postWW II era lighten the load."--
Kirkus Reviews Review
"Easily read and enjoyed but also thoughtful: a book with unusual texture and depth." Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
Review
"A wish-fulfillment tale that will turn any author groupie (or author, for that matter) green with envy." KIRKUS Kirkus Reviews
"Short and appealing, this speaks to any child who has a favorite author." -BOOKLIST Booklist, ALA
Review
"With plenty of twists and turns -- and a cameo appearance by Doc Holliday--it's a real cowgirl, triumph." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Good recreational fare." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Hahn once again displays her remarkable facility for adapting to the demands of different genres. . . . Sometimes heart-rending, sometimes funny, Gordy Smith will prove memorable to all who meet him." Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Synopsis
This fictional re-creation of a crime that happened in Mary Downing Hahn's Maryland hometown in 1955—the murder of two teenage girls—is at once a mystery and a coming-of-age story. Told from several perspectives, including that of the murderer, this latest work from the award-winning and best-selling author is sure to captivate readers.
Synopsis
Based on an actual crime in 1955, this YA novel is at once a mystery and a coming-of-age story. The brutal murder of two teenage girls on the last day of Nora Cunninghams junior year in high school throws Nora into turmoil. Her certainties—friendships, religion, her prudence, her resolve to find a boyfriend taller than she is—are shaken or cast off altogether. Most people in Elmgrove, Maryland, share the comforting conviction that Buddy Novak, who had every reason to want his ex-girlfriend dead, is responsible for the killings. Nora agrees at first, then begins to doubt Buddys guilt, and finally comes to believe him innocent—the lone dissenting voice in Elmgrove. Told from several different perspectives, including that of the murderer, Mister Deaths Blue-Eyed Girls is a suspenseful page-turner with a powerful human drama at its core.
Synopsis
At the same time that Matt and Parker find the body of the dead man in the creek, they recognize George Evans, the owner of the antique shop where Parker's mother works.
Synopsis
Since its publication in 1986, the deliciously frightening novel Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story has not only haunted countless readers, it has also won 11 state book awards. The spine-chilling tale begins when 12-year-old Molly and her 10-year-old brother Michael learn theyll be moving to a refurbished old church in rural Maryland with their mothers new husband Dave and their younger stepsister Heather. Heather is an insufferable brat, but that turns out to be the least of the familys worries. When she strikes up a friendship with Helen, the malevolent ghost of a seven-year-old girl who died in a mysterious fire more than 100 years ago, things really heat up… and Heathers unsettling threat "Wait till Helen comes" becomes a grim reality.
Synopsis
Travis and his sister, Corey, cant resist a good trick—so when they learn that their grandmothers 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 arent 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 inns 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.
Synopsis
A contemporary thriller by the bestselling author of
The Old Willis Place.
Two 13-year-old boys, Arthur and Logan, set out to solve the mystery of a murder that took place some years ago in the old house Logan's family has just moved into. The boys' quest takes them to the highest and lowest levels of society in their small Maryland town, and eventually to a derelict amusement park that is supposedly closed for the season.
Synopsis
Look for Me by Moonlight is Mary Downing Hahns eerie, suspenseful tale of dangerous love.
In a remote Maine inn, where Cynda is supposed to be reconnecting with her father and his new family, she is also falling in love for the first time. But this isnt a typical teenage romance. The object of her affection, Vincent Morthanos, is older and worldly, with pale, aristocratic good looks. And he has a secreta secret that could destroy Cyndas family, unless she can free herself from loves deadly embrace.
Synopsis
Diana and her little brother Georgie have been living in the woods behind the old Willis place, a decaying Victorian mansion, for what already seems like forever. They arent allowed to leave the property or show themselves to anyone. But when a new caretaker comes to live there with his young daughter, Lissa, Diana is tempted to break the mysterious rules they live by and reveal herself so she can finally have a friend. Somehow, Diana must get Lissas help if she and Georgie ever hope to release themselves from the secret that has bound them to the old Willis place for so long.
Mary Downing Hahn has written a chilling ghost story in the tradition of her most successful spine-tingling novels. The intriguing characters, frightening secrets, and plot twists will delight her many fans.
Synopsis
When Ashley discovers a turn-of-the-century doll it is just the first of several puzzling events that lead her through the hedge and into a twilight past where she meets Louise, an ailing child whose beloved doll has mysteriously disappeared.
Synopsis
When he goes to spend the summer with his great-aunt in the family's old house, eleven-year-old Drew is drawn eighty years into the past to trade places with his great-great-uncle who is dying of diphtheria.
Synopsis
The poignant story of World War II back home at last
Finally, the paperback edition of one of Mary Dowing Hahns most gripping and personal stories. Culled from her memories of growing up under the shadows of WWII, this story has touched young readers for more than fifteen years. We are so excited to have it back with us in paper, with a fantastic new cover, available for young readers for many, many more years to come.
Margaret and Elizabeth support everything about the war: the troops, the reasons for going to war, even the food rations. After all, this is the good war and the Americans are the good guys.
But when the girls stumble upon a classmates secret, their feelings about the war begin to change. Is it really a good war? Is there ever such a thing?
Synopsis
A chilling supernatural tale!
Just before summer begins, thirteen-year-old Ali finds an old photograph. She recognizes the two children. Ones her mother, the other her aunt Dulcie
but who is the third person, the one whos been torn out of the picture? Ali will have all summer to figure it out, since shes spending the summer with her aunt and her cousin in the same house her mom and aunt used to visit when they were kids.
Then Ali meets Sissy. Sissy is mean, spiteful, and determined to ruin Alis summer. Sissy also has a secret. Could it have something to do with the old photo? Ali is dying to find out, and if shes not careful, thats exactly what might happen to her.
Synopsis
On a cold, snowy night, Haswell Magruder makes a decision that will have a profound effect on his own life as well as the lives of all those he loves. A wounded Confederate soldier appears at the familys Virginia farm, and Haswell convinces his mother and sister to take the man in, despite the certain repercussions if the enemy Yankees were to catch them in such a “traitorous” act. Unfortunately, this is precisely what happens, setting off a horrific chain of events that leaves Haswells mother dead and the farmhouse burned to the ground.
After leading his younger sister to safety with relatives, Haswell sets out on his journey in search of his older brother, a Confederate soldier. His quest is also a passage into manhood, as he experiences the last bloody days of the Civil War. Skillful storytelling, well-developed characters, and a fast-paced plot distinguish this compelling family story by an award-winning author.
Synopsis
When her widower father inherits a castlelike estate in the mountains of West Virginia, 12-year-old Jen is thrilled. It seems like a wish come true. But she quickly realizes that not all change is positive. Her dad has a mysterious new girlfriend, Moura, who slowly drives a wedge between Jen and her father. Furthermore, Moura has an unusually strong—almost obsessive—interest in the antiques that fill the mansion, especially a beautiful glass globe that Jen finds hanging in a window. When Jens cat accidentally breaks the globe, which Moura calls a “witch catcher,” strange things begin to happen. . . .
An odd-looking girl wearing a torn dress appears, seemingly out of nowhere, and Mouras behavior becomes more sinister, leading Jen to believe that her father is a pawn in an evil scheme. Soon Jen finds herself caught in the midst of a supernatural war, with the fate of an enchanted race—and her family—at stake.
Inspired by the age-old legend of witch catchers, Mary Downing Hahn brings a magical cast of characters to life in this compelling fantasy adventure. Authors note.
Synopsis
Gordy couldn't be more unhappy about moving back to his hometown of College Hill, where everybody knows his family's troubled history. In North Carolina, Gordy's life had finally seemed to be on the right track. But in College Hill, Gordy and his sister, June, move into a cramped apartment with their brother Stu and his new family. The principal at Gordy's school immediately has it in for him, his old pals encourage him to cause trouble, and his one-time nemesis, Elizabeth, hates him more than ever. It seems to Gordy as though the whole world is against him. Will he slip back into his old trouble-making ways for good, or will he be able to keep growing into the successful person he was striving to become?
Synopsis
Daphne is the last person Jessica wants to work with on the Write-a-Book project, but her feelings change when she gets to know Daphne and stumbles on her terrible secret.
Synopsis
Anna is thrilled when she receives an invitation to leave hot, sticky Baltimore and visit her aunt and uncle on their farm, where shell be able to go barefoot, swim in the pond, and drink fresh-squeezed lemonade. But when she arrives, shes greeted by an unpleasant surprise: her uncles nephew, Theodore, who delights in teasing her mercilessly about her city ways. Anna refuses to let Theodore get the best of her, though, and in a series of suspenseful adventures and hilarious mishaps she proves that she isnt just a city slicker, after all.
In this lively sequel to Anna All Year Round, award-winning author Mary Downing Hahn again draws on her own mothers childhood experiences just before World War I. The result is a gathering of humorous, heartwarming episodes filled with both the delights and difficulties that have always accompanied the journey of growing up.
Synopsis
In 1887 twelve-year-old Eliza, disguised as a boy and traveling to Colorado in search of her missing father, falls in with a gentleman outlaw and joins him in his illegal schemes.
Synopsis
Eight-year-old Anna enjoys one exciting experience after another in this charming story set in Baltimore just before World War I. She gets a new winter coat that's even better than Rosa's, rollerskates down the steepest hill in the neighborhood, and rides the trolley all by herself. And she delights in the changes occurring in the world around her, as motorcars and electric lights appear for the first time on her street. Based on the childhood experiences of the author's mother, these heartwarming episodes touch on timeless themes of family, friends, and the wonders of growing up.
Synopsis
When twelve-year-old Florence boards the crowded horse-drawn coach in London, she looks forward to a new life with her great uncle and aunt at Crutchfield Hall, an old manor house in the English countryside. Anything will be better, she thinks, than the grim London orphanage where she has lived since her parents' death.
But Florence doesn't expect the ghost of her cousin Sophia, who haunts the cavernous rooms and dimly lit hallways of Crutchfield and concocts a plan to use Florence to help her achieve her murderous goals. Will Florence be able to convince the others in the household of the imminent danger and stop Sophia before it's too late?
Synopsis
* "A gripping story all the more chilling for its roots in real-life crime."—Publishers Weekly, starred review The brutal murder of two teenage girls on the last day of Nora's junior year throws her into turmoil. Her certainties—friendships, religion, her resolve to find a boyfriend—are shaken or cast off altogether. Most people share the comforting conviction that Buddy Novak is responsible for the killings. Nora agrees at first, then comes to believe him innocent—the lone dissenting voice. Told from several different perspectives, including the murderer's, this is a suspenseful page-turner with a powerful human drama at its core.
Synopsis
Molly and Michael aren't very happy about moving with their mother and her new husband into a converted church—and they particularly dislike their younger stepsister, Heather. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them.
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their seven-year-old stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse.
But they do -- when Helen comes.
Synopsis
Just before summer begins, 13-year-old Ali finds an odd photograph in the attic. She knows the two children in it are her mother, Claire, and her aunt Dulcie. But whos the third person, the one whos been torn out of the picture?
Ali figures shell find out while shes vacationing in Maine with Dulcie and her four-year-old daughter, Emma, in the house where Alis mothers family used to spend summers. All hopes for relaxation are quashed shortly after their arrival, though, when the girls meet Sissy, a kid whos mean and spiteful and a bad influence on Emma.
Strangest of all, Sissy keeps talking about a girl named Teresa who drowned under mysterious circumstances back when Claire and Dulcie were kids, and whose body was never found. At first Ali thinks Sissys just trying to scare her with a ghost story, but soon she discovers the real reason why Sissy is so angry. . . . Mary Downing Hahn is at her chilling best in this new supernatural tale thats certain to send shivers down her readers spines.
Synopsis
Mary Downing Hahn combines powerful characters, dark secrets, and breathtaking suspense in a compelling Civil War-era story readers won't soon forget. Aiding and abetting an escaped slave is against the law, and it goes against everything Jesse Sherman has been taught. But he has promised a dying runaway slave that he will take her seven-year-old son, Perry, to safety in Baltimore. He can't break a promise made to the dead, no matter what the risks. More important, he must follow what he knows to be true in his heart. When the journey turns out to be far more difficult and dangerous than he anticipated, and he loses Perry on the riot-torn streets of Baltimore, Jesse comes face to face with the worst humanity has to offer. But he also witnesses examples of love, compassion, and courage unlike anything he's experienced before. AUTHOR'S NOTE.
Synopsis
A white boy helps a black child escape slavery in the midst of the Civil War
Synopsis
When Jesse went down to the marsh on that fateful day, he expected to find a turtle for terrapin soup. Instead, he comes across a dying slave woman who makes Jesse promise hell take her young son, Perry, to a relative in Baltimore. Aiding and abetting a slave is against the law, and it also goes against everything Jesse has been taught to believe. But he cant break a promise to the dead, and, more important, he has to follow what he knows in his heart to be right. The journey is more treacherous than Jesse ever imagined. At the crossroads of a country about to plunge into civil war, danger lurks around every corner. Will these boys on the run ever find a safe haven? Includes an author's note.
Synopsis
In 1944, when her brother is overseas fighting in World War II, eleven-year-old Margaret changes her mind about the school bully, Gordy, after she discovers he is hiding his own brother, a deserter.
Synopsis
When sixteen-year-old Cynda goes to stay with her father and his second wife, Susan, at their remote bed-and-breakfast inn in Maine, everything starts off well despite legends about ghosts and a murder at the inn. But Cynda feels like a visitor in Dad's new life, an outsider. Then intense, handsome stranger Vincent Morthanos arrives at the inn and seems to return Cynda's interest. At first she is blind to the subtle, insistent signs that Vincent is not what he seems-that he is, in fact, a vampire. Can Cynda free herself-and her family-from Vincent's power before it's too late? Full-bodied characterizations and page-turning suspense ensure that this eerie, riveting novel will appeal to middle school fans of mystery and horror.
Synopsis
Two boys make a grisly discovery
Synopsis
While camping near Indian Creek, Matt and his best friend, Parker, get up early to see if they can spot a blue heron. Instead, they find the body of a dead man floating in the clear water. Parker is sure that George Evans, the smooth-talking local antiques dealer, must somehow be connected to the dead man. Matt isnt so surebut then, on Halloween night, while snooping around Evanss antique shop, the boys make another shocking discovery that puts their own lives in danger. There are murderous grownups that would do anything to keep what the boys found in the shop a secret, and now theyre after Parker and Matt. Are the boys clever enough to get away? Or will they, too, end up like the dead man in Indian Creek?
Synopsis
Lauren and Spencer share a love of poetry, and both have problems with their parents. But when Lauren realizes that she is falling in love with Spencer, she also begins to recognize his moody and self-destructive side.
Synopsis
Out of sight, out of mind.” Thats what Tallahassee Higginss mother, Liz, always says about her ex-boyfriends. But now that Tallahassee has been sent to live with her aunt and uncle in Maryland so Liz can start a movie career in California, the words are taking on new meaning.
Aunt Thelma says that Liz is gone for good, but Talley is sure her mother will come for her. So who cares if mean Aunt Thelma hates her, if shes failing sixth grade, or if the kids at school think shes a liar? Its not like shes staying in Maryland forever.
Unless Aunt Thelma is right and Liz isnt coming back.
Synopsis
Third-grader Janey is never without a Bob the Dog Detective book by her favorite author, Lily May Appleton. She sneaks reading time during school and is often scolded for letting her mind wander. Janey snaps to attention, though, when her teacher mentions Ms. Appletons name. The author is scheduled to speak at a childrens literature festival, and Janeys class will have a chance to meet her!
At last the big day comes, but once again Janeys daydreaming gets her into trouble. She becomes separated from her class and completely misses the session with Ms. Appleton. Lost and devastated, Janey is consoled by a kind stranger who claims to be none other thanLily May Appleton!
Synopsis
A mischievous brother and sister awaken spirits at an old inn
Synopsis
Travis and his sister, Corey, can't resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother's quiet Vermont inn, where they're spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little "haunting" of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to the inn, and business booms. 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. Can these siblings lay to rest the ghosts theyve stirred?
Synopsis
Forced to accompany their parents on their honeymoon in Spain, new stepsisters Amy and Felix find the animosity between them escalating, especially when Felix's boasting about family wealth to Grace, the mysterious world traveler, results in the kidnapping of the girls and their younger brother.
Synopsis
In this companion story to the award-winning "Stepping on the Cracks," tough-talking Gordy Smith comes to grips with the fear that he'll turn out no better than his abusive father.
About the Author
MARY DOWNING HAHN is the Edgar Award-winning author of many popular ghost stories and mysteries, including
Deep and Dark and Dangerous and
The Old Willis Place. A former librarian, an avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland with her two cats, Oscar and Rufus.
www.MaryDowningHahnBooks.com