Synopses & Reviews
Something's rotten in the heart of apple country!
Hildy Biddle dreams of being a journalist. A reporter for her high school newspaper, The Core, she's just waiting for a chance to prove herself. Not content to just cover school issues, Hildy's drawn to the town's big story the haunted old Ludlow house. On the surface, Banesville, USA, seems like such a happy place, but lately, eerie happenings and ghostly sightings are making Hildy take a deeper look.
Her efforts to find out who is really haunting Banesville isn't making her popular, and she starts wondering if she's cut out to be a journalist after all. But she refuses to give up, because, hopefully, the truth will set a few ghosts free.
Peeled is classic Joan Bauer, featuring a strong heroine, and filled with her trademark witty dialogue, and problems and people worth standing up to.
Review
"In a time when journalism too often flaunts sensationalism, Hildy and crew demonstrate ethics and determination in a story that is wonderfully teachable, highly readable, and ready to delight Bauer fans, old and new." VOYA
Review
"Hildy's passion for reporting leaps off the page...and her crisp, declarative narration, subtly emulating a journalistic style, sings with tart humor and quixotic purpose." Horn Book Magazine
Review
"[Q]uick-paced prose juicy with apple metaphors. A-peeling all around!" School Library Journal
Review
"Bauer...make[s] this a pleasurable read that may encourage teens to consider deeper questions about family farms, urban sprawl, and the many who profit from public fear." Booklist
Review
"In Hildy, Bauer introduces a feisty, funny teenage heroine who stays true to her mission and herself while learning the realities of reporting and the importance of sticking to the facts. Highly entertaining." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Joan Bauer's mastery of writing characters again proves itself in Hildy, the strong female protagonist we've come to expect from the Newbery Honor-winning author, delighting me as she did in Hope Was Here and Rules of the Road." Sarah Miller, Powells.com (read the entire Powells.com review)
Synopsis
High school newspaper reporter Hildy Biddle isn't content to just cover school issues. She's drawn to the town's big story the haunted old Ludlow house. Hildy's efforts to find out who is really haunting the place isn't making her popular, and she starts wondering if she's cut out to be a journalist, after all.
Synopsis
Hildy Biddle wants something monumental to happen so she can finally prove herself to be more than a high school journalist. The problem? Her town?s biggest story stars a ghost, which is not an easy interview. But while the local paper is playing up people?s fears with shocking headlines of creepy happenings, Hildy is determined to discover what?s really going on. Unfortunately, her desire to uncover the truth is starting to cause a stir. With rumors swirling and tensions high, can Hildy push past all the hype and find out the real truth?
About the Author
Joan Bauer is the critically acclaimed author of numerous young adult novels, including Best Foot Forward, Rules of the Road (recipient of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize) and Newbery Honor winner Hope Was Here. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.