Mysteries…with a Side of Creepy
Reviews by Melissa Oxborrow

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[March 28, 2015]  So many of the children and teens I meet love a good mystery or ghost story. Especially if it’s scary enough to give them the chills and make them want to check under their bed before going to sleep. Here are some books that fit the bill for children, grades 4 -7. Make sure you leave the light on…

All the Lovely Bad Ones
by Mary Downing Hahn, c2008

Mary Downing Hahn is a favorite of the middle graders because of her spine-tingling tales.
In All the Lovely Bad Ones, Travis and his sister, Corey, are spending the summer at their grandma’s inn---an inn with a supernatural history. The siblings decide to play some harmless pranks on the guests, providing a little of the rumored “haunting” and to spice up their summer vacation. Soon Fox Hill Inn is overrun with tourists, but it isn’t long before Travis and Corey realize their tricks have stirred up some uneasy ghosts. And they might be dangerous…

A delicious tale that will give children a thrill, without giving them nightmares, All the Lovely Bad Ones is a must-read for young readers that love a good ghost story.

Doll Bones
by Holly Black, c2013

Zach, Poppy and Alice are best friends that love their games of make-believe---games of adventure featuring pirates, warriors and thieves. They’ve chosen the Great Queen, a bone-china doll kept locked in Poppy’s mother’s cabinet, to rule over their make-believe world.

However, now that they are in middle school Zach is getting pressure to “grow up” and give up his games with his friends. When his father pushes him over the edge and he has to quit the game, Zach can’t bring himself to tell the girls the truth. Not long after that, Poppy claims to be having dreams about the Queen and the ghost of a little girl who can’t rest until the doll is buried in her empty grave.

Is Poppy making up these dreams in hopes of getting her friends back together, or is there really a little girl ghost that needs their help? Is the doll alive? And is she dangerous? Zach, Poppy and Alice are about to find out.

A great story of friendship combined with mystery and thrills, this tale will keep readers enthralled to the last twist and turn! Doll Bones is a 2014 Newbery Honor Book by Holly Black, well-known young adult and juvenile fiction author. Her Spiderwick Chronicles series is also a great pick for this age group.

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Boys of Blur
by N.D. Wilson, c2014

Boys of Blur is a fantastic tale of good and evil set in the swampy Florida Everglades in a small town surrounded by sugar cane fields.

Charlie has just moved with his family to Taper and it’s a whole new world. Football is king and his stepfather is the new head coach and a local hero. Kids chase rabbits in the fields when the cane is being burned to hone their speed for the game. But they aren’t alone in the fields. There is an ancient evil that is threatening to take over the entire town, and Charlie and his cousin Cotton have found themselves on the front lines of a supernatural battle for the lives of their family and friends. If they can’t learn the secrets of the swamp and the mound in time, if they can’t stop the Gren and their queen, no one will survive.

Dark and creepy, with an eerie setting, a heart-stopping mystery and characters that are so real they jump off the page, this tale will grab hold of readers and won’t let go until the last page. Other spooky titles by N.D. Wilson available at the library include Leepike Ridge and the 100 Cupboards series.

To check out these books or get recommendations for other great reads, please come see us at the Lincoln Public Library, 725 Pekin Street.

[By MELISSA OXBORROW, Lincoln Public Library District]

 

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