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The author of wildly popular ghost stories, Mary Downing Hahn has created a group of tales for fans of her "scary but not too scary" books. Even the stories without actual ghosts are spooky. Each tale turns something ordinary—a pigeon, a white dress, a stranger on the bus, a puppet—into a sinister link to to the supernatural. For the human characters, secrets from the past or careless behavior in the present can lead to serious trouble. All the stories have a young person as the central character, so all will resonate with young readers who enjoy the eerie, the creepy, and the otherworldly. In a concluding note, the author talks about how she came to write ghost stories. Views: 662
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. Views: 662
From the master of spookiness, Mary Downing Hahn. When malicious sprites called the Kinde Folke snatch Mollie's baby brother and replace him with a hideous changeling, Mollie travels through eerie, perilous lands to save him. When her adorable baby brother is replaced by an ugly, ill-tempered changeling, Mollie is determined to find the so-called Kinde Folke who took baby Thomas, return the changeling she calls Guest, and make them give Thomas back. Natural and magical obstacles and her own reckless temperament make her journey arduous and full of dangers, and a plot rich in surprises and twists makes this book a must-read for Mary Downing Hahn's fans. Views: 633
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 aren’t 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 Lissa’s 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. Views: 609
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. Views: 502
Alienated, bullied, a classic underachiever, 12-year-old Brendan retreats into his fantasy world and then faces the long and demanding journey to a real world where he belongs.
No one is kind to sixth-grader Brendan Doyle: his foster mother, his teachers, his classmates, and especially the thugs who bully him. He takes refuge in books, drawing, carving, and daydreaming. When Brendan stumbles upon an old man near his tree house in the Virginia woods, he is quick to believe that this is the magical Green Man, guardian spirit of the forest. Brendan's need to immerse himself in his fantasy world becomes more acute, until he meets a girl with secrets of her own who may just keep his feet on the ground. Views: 467
Life wasn't fair. As soon as you thought you were safe, someone pulled the rug out from under you. And there you were, back on the train, going to the very place you thought you'd left for good.
Gordy couldn't be less happy about moving back to his old hometown of College Hill, Maryland, where everybody knows his family's troubled history. In North Carolina, Gordy's life was finally on the right track. Back in College Hill, Gordy and his sister, June, must move into a cramped apartment with their brother stu and his new family. The principal at Gordy's school has it in for him, his pals encourage him to cause trouble, and his old rival, Elizabeth, can't see that he's changed. The whole world seems to be against Gordy. Is Gordy destined to slip back into his old trouble-making ways for good? Views: 442
Life on the farm is nothing like Baltimore!Anna is so excited when she finds out that she's spending a week on the farm with her aunt and uncle. She promises her mother she'll behave like a lady . . . but it's hard to do when she discovers there's a boy visiting, too. His name is Theodore, and he can't stand "stuck-up city slickers." Anna is determined to get back at him for all his teasing -- and show him a thing or two about what city slickers are really like!
The heroine of anna all year round is back for more adventures! Views: 411
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 Jen’s 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 Moura’s 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. Author’s note. Views: 387
With warmth and panache, Mary Downing Hahn renders a fictionalized account of her own mother's Baltimore childhood during the years just before World War I. From eight-year-old Anna's troubles with math to her surprise birthday trick to her triumphant ride in an automobile, each vignette in this charming novel is rich with period detail and resonant with the wonders and woes of childhood across the ages. Views: 354
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 isn’t so sure—but then, on Halloween night, while snooping around Evans’s 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 they’re 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? Views: 341
The Secret: Everybody in Jessica's English class makes fun of Daphne. She never says a word to anyone -- just walks around with her nose in a book, with her long straggly hair hanging over her face. Now the worst thing has happened. The teacher has assigned Jessica to be partners with Daphne in the Write-A-Book contest!
But being forced to work with the class "weirdo", Jessica gets an even bigger surprise. Not only does Daphne talk to her, but she tells Jessica a terrible secret...one that Jessica knows could be very dangerous to keep. Views: 240
She had been warned never to go there...But as ten year-old Ashley followed the beautiful white cat through a small opening in the hedge, she stepped into an enchanted place...A place where she might find the answers...Who is the little girl with golden curls and the huge sad eyes? Whose voice cries out in the dark of night? Why does the white cat cast no shadow in the moonlight? Who is the owner of the beautiful doll found buried in the garden? And if Ashley discovers the truth, can she ever go back...? Views: 195
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. "With plenty of twists and turns -- and a cameo appearance by Doc Holliday--it's a real cowgirl, triumph." -- Kirkus Reviews Views: 178
"Folks say Old Auntie takes a girl and keeps her fifty years—then lets her go and takes another one." Thirteen-year-old Daniel Anderson doesn't believe Brody Mason's crazy stories about the ghost witch who lives up on Brewster's Hill with Bloody Bones, her man-eating razorback hog. He figures Brody's probably just trying to scare him since he's the new kid . . . a "stuck-up snot" from Connecticut. But Daniel's seven-year-old sister Erica has become more and more withdrawn, talking to her lookalike doll. When she disappears into the woods one day, he knows something is terribly wrong. Did the witch strike? Has Erica been "took"? Views: 67
