Ghosts of Gettysburg and Other Hauntings of the East.

Garbe, Suzanne.  Ghosts of Gettysburg and Other Hauntings of the East.  Capstone Publishers     2014  32p   $27.32  ISBN 978-1-4765-3916-4  elem  series: Haunted America  Scary stories VG-BN

Ghosts of Gettysburg is probably not an apt title for this book.  The book actually only has one story of the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania.  The rest of the stories are distributed along the east coast, with three set in Massachusetts, two in Maryland, and one each in Washington, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maine, and Rhode Island.  The stories are good and scary.  Many of the hauntings involve paranormal activities.  A few are ghosts and all of them are really interesting stories.  The story set in Gettysburg dates back to 1863 and is about sounds, smells, footsteps, voices and ghosts. Another story that is famous is set at the Lizzie Borden house, where it is said she killed her father with an ax.  The Washington haunting takes place in the White House.  It is said that William Lincoln, a son of Abraham Lincoln who died very young, has been seen.  The kids will enjoy reading the book, and if they go traveling around the states they may even take this book along to confirm the stories.

The hauntings are ranked for scariness.  The book is beautifully illustrated with color pictures.  It includes a glossary, a map,  a list of more places to explore, a “read more” section, a list of internet sites, and an index.

Summary: Ghosts of Gettysburg and Other Hauntings of the East is a good book that will scare the young but keep them reading.         

Ghost stories                                         --Magna Diaz

Dance with a Vampire

Schreiber, Ellen. Dance with a Vampire. Harper Collins, 2007. 179p. $16.89 978-0-6113-2247.

Raven’s boyfriend is a very unusual young man. He is a vampire and even though they do all the things young people do their relationship is doomed. Now it may have to end quicker than she thought when a new dangerous vampire threatens her family.

We met Raven and her vampire boyfriend, Alexander, in the first book: Vampire Kisses. In this new book Raven and her “boyfriend” are trying to have as normal a relation as they can but their relationship is doomed. Now it may have to end quicker than she thought when a new dangerous vampire called Valentine, comes to town looking for revenge. Raven finds that she must confront this child vampire who appears to be very angry with her.

Valentine is searching for his other vampire siblings. He discovers that Raven had something to do with their disappearance and he uses his mind reading ability mind to uncovers some truth that are better left unsaid but he says them anyway.

Not as good as the first book which was highly entertaining. Raven’s morbid desire to become a vampire becomes very tiresome. And even though she is afraid of the truth it lacks conviction making it seems that she would much rather be a vampire.
M.D.

Hauntings

Hearne, Betsy. Hauntings. Greenwillow (see Harper Collins), 2007. 211p. $16.89 978-0-0612-3-9113

This is a collection of fifteen haunting tale divided into the past, the present and beyond the past and present. The stories are at times a little odd with a strange twist not quite understandable to me. I did not find many of them haunting at all but I did find all of them strange. They do’nt have that spine tingling feeling about them but they are odd and sometimes bizarre. They feel like modern tales that leave you feeling like “I don’t get it” type of reaction.

The stories are not outstanding but the book might make a good read-a-loud book to give the story atmosphere. M.D.