Synopses & Reviews
Since its publication in 1986, the deliciously frightening novel Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story has not only haunted countless readers, but has also won eleven state book awards. The spine-chilling tale begins when twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, learn that 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 a hundred years ago, things really heat up . . . and Heathers unsettling threat, “Wait till Helen comes,” becomes a grim reality.
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
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
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.
About the Author
Mary Downing Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her husband. She has two grown daughters. Ms, Hahn was a children's librarian in Prince George's County until she decided to devote all her time to writing and visiting schools around the country. Her work ranges from realistic fiction to contemporary fantasy and has received much critical acclaim for its well-defined characterizations and interesting plot lines.