Hahn, Mary Downing. Took.

Hahn, Mary Downing.  Took.    Houghton Mifflin/Clarion  2015  264p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-544-55153-4  elem/ms Horror  VG-BN     

When Daniel and his little sister Erica move with their parents from urban Connecticut to an old house in rural West Virginia, they have a lot of adjustments to make.  First of all, everyone tells them their new house is haunted.  In addition, the kids at school are mean, the house is in terrible shape, and Daniel’s parents are unhappy with their new jobs.  Everything seems to be stacked against them, parents and children alike.  On top of everything else, they keep hearing tales about an old witch called Auntie who haunts the woods near their house and captures young girls to be her slaves, keeping each girl for fifty years.  They dismiss these tales as being untrue and fantasy-based.  But when Erica suddenly disappears one day, things go from bad to worse. Daniel’s parents blame him for her disappearance.  While he is reluctant to believe the stories about Auntie and her kidnappings of children, he finally realizes that they must be true, and he undertakes to find and rescue his sister.  This story is creepy and will keep readers turning pages, with its well-drawn characters and fine pacing.  It is perfect for readers who are looking for a new Mary Downing Hahn story to keep them up at night.                

Recommended for upper-elementary and middle-school readers.

Summary: When Daniel and his little sister Erica move with their parents to a remote house in rural West Virginia, everything seems to go wrong, including Erica’s sudden disappearance. Could the stories of an old witch called Auntie possibly be true?      

Ghost stories-Fiction                                             --Carol Kennedy

Hahn, Mary Downing. Took.

Hahn, Mary Downing.  Took.    Houghton Mifflin/Clarion  2015  264p  $16.99  ISBN 978-0-544-55153-4  elem/ms Horror  VG-BN     

When Daniel and his little sister Erica move with their parents from urban Connecticut to an old house in rural West Virginia, they have a lot of adjustments to make.  First of all, everyone tells them their new house is haunted.  In addition, the kids at school are mean, the house is in terrible shape, and Daniel’s parents are unhappy with their new jobs.  Everything seems to be stacked against them, parents and children alike.  On top of everything else, they keep hearing tales about an old witch called Auntie who haunts the woods near their house and captures young girls to be her slaves, keeping each girl for fifty years.  They dismiss these tales as being untrue and fantasy-based.  But when Erica suddenly disappears one day, things go from bad to worse. Daniel’s parents blame him for her disappearance.  While he is reluctant to believe the stories about Auntie and her kidnappings of children, he finally realizes that they must be true, and he undertakes to find and rescue his sister.  This story is creepy and will keep readers turning pages, with its well-drawn characters and fine pacing.  It is perfect for readers who are looking for a new Mary Downing Hahn story to keep them up at night.                

Recommended for upper-elementary and middle-school readers.

Summary: When Daniel and his little sister Erica move with their parents to a remote house in rural West Virginia, everything seems to go wrong, including Erica’s sudden disappearance. Could the stories of an old witch called Auntie possibly be true?      

Ghost stories-Fiction                                             --Carol Kennedy

Hahn, Mary Downing. Mister Death’s Blue-eyed Girls.

Hahn, Mary Downing.     Mister Death’s Blue-eyed Girls.     Houghton Mifflin/Clarion      330p  $16.99      978-0-547-76062-9           hs          VG-BN Realistic Fiction

Set in the 1950s, this is the story of a double murder, faith, grief, and false accusations.  Narrated by three of the key characters, Nora, Buddy and “Mister Death” and with the diaries of the two murdered girls, Cheryl and Bobbi Jo, the reader is able to follow the path of the murder and its consequences.  The story begins when “Mister Death” is rebuffed and mocked by Cheryl and Bobbi Jo at a dance, and the following morning the murders occur.  However, Buddy is the obvious suspect because he was recently dumped by Cheryl.  The narratives then follow the consequences and emotions endured by all involved. Aside from Buddy, Nora is the most impacted by the murders, and her questioning of not only the crime but also of her Catholic faith and her friendships is the predominant voice in this novel.  In the afterword, the author reveals that this story is based on a murder that occurred when she was a teenager in Maryland, and as in the novel, the murderer was not caught.  Perhaps if this information had been provided in a foreword, it would have added an edge to the book that was otherwise missing.  While this reader found herself at times skimming through pages to avoid the narrative, the insight and writing will no doubt be engaging for YA readers.  It is a highly recommended addition to high-school and public-library collections.  The topic and writing will surely engage YA readers.     

Murder – Fiction, Mystery – Fiction                         -- Lynn Fisher