There is nothing like a great ghost story. I’ve always loved ghost stories as a kid—even when it meant that I would be scared going to sleep at night. Every shadow was the boogey man and I just knew that there was something outside my window wanting to get me.
My middle grade novel, Ghost Summer, is based on a story that I heard growing up. It’s the novel that snagged me an agent and hopefully when I’m finished with my current novel, I can go back and revise it so it can find a publishing home.
So I thought I would share my favorite ghost stories.
Breathe by Cliff McNish. Jack and his mother move to an old house—you know what that means.Jack starts to see ghosts. But there is also another sinister presence—a dark spirit the other ghosts are afraid of—and now that spirit wants Jack. Okay, this is a great ghost story with a different twist. Just the chapter titled the Nightmare Passage is worth the money of this book.
Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. Orphan Judith is still reeling from the death of her mother. Sent to live with her Uncle—he gives her one rule: Do NOT bring anything green into the house. Of course, Judith has a picture of her mother in a green silk frame—she can’t part with it—uh oh, a powerful force is unleashed. I loved this story because it is set in a historical past—but the ghost story itself is creepy, which is a good thing.
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn. A good one from the Queen of ghost stories. Molly and Michael are trying to get used to their new mixed family. It would be great if their step-sister wasn’t such a brat. After moving to a renovated church during the summer, Heather has a found a new friend—out in the graveyard. Yeah, you see the set-up. This is one of my favorites from Hahn because of the family dynamics. But really any ghost story by Hahn is good—this is her niche.
A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. I LOVE this book. Written in a beautiful language, it centers around Helen who has wandered alone as a spirit until a boy sees her. James is a spirit in the boy’s body and he convinces Helen to possess a girl body so that they can be together. They must deal with their own secrets as well as the teens whose bodies they currently possess. The ending of this book will have you holding your breath—a great read.
The Ghost Belonged to Me by Richard Peck. I love this classic by Peck. The story centers around Alexander who sees a strange light coming out of the barn. When he sees the ghost of a drowned girl, she warns him of a catastrophe and Alexander must find a way to stop it. One of the things that make this ghost story fun is the humor.
I’m always on the lookout for creepy ghost stories. This is one genre that I think will always be in style. Kids and teens loved to be scared. I love it too.
Passion and Poison: Tales of Shape-Shifters, Ghosts, and Spirited Women was written by Janice M. Del Negro and published in 2007 by Marshall Cavendish Corp. The awesome cover art was done by Vincent Natale, and his illustrations enhance each story. The publisher recommends the book for ages 10 and up, but I am going to recommend it for ages 12 and up due to the violence in the stories. There are 62 large print pages in 7 chapters (poorly printed in China- faint and missing print), and so it would make a good reluctant reader book for teenagers.
These are story-telling stories, good for reading aloud as the author states. There are bizarre stories of shape-shifters, involving women and cats. And several good ghost stories.
A humorous ghost story involves a recently departed mother still residing in her house with her living son. She still drives him crazy with nagging until a resourceful and very calm young woman resolves the ghost mother’s dilemma.
The Severed Hand is a frightening story of a serial killer and how his fiance discovers his crimes and gets revenge for all his victims.
In Rubies, passion for jewels and poisonous deeds kill Giovanna’s younger beautiful sister, until Giovanna deceives the murderous lover Rafael unto his own death.
Sea Child, my favorite in the book, is about a mother who lost her son to the sea at Cliff’s End and then rescues the live baby girl of a recently drowned mother at the very same spot. The ghost mother “defying death” to save her baby from the incoming flood tide.
Hide and Seek I could relate to personally. It is the story of a little girl who is bullied by another girl (much as my daughter was). Del Negro writes, “Thanks to Debbie’s poison, Jane was shunned by the other children and left to play by herself. With that sneaky cleverness some children know so well, the names and the nastiness were kept to secret whispers the grown-ups never heard.” Yes, so true this is. It takes a special teacher to believe the tormented child is being truthful about the torment. Jane has supernatural friends though, the topiary animals at her house come to life, and Debbie is snuffed out by them the day she decides to bring her torment right into Jane’s yard.
Good spooky stories!
Fantasi Books/Boeke has a great opportunity for writers to create ghost stories. Click on the title above for more information.Also, see the link to Fantasi Books in the Websites of Interest below right.
We don't hear too much about book banning in Russia but the story of the publication of a book accusing Russia of blowing up an apartment building to justify the war against Chechnya by ex-spy Alexander Litvinenko and Yuri Felshtinsky gives one pause. Blowing Up Russia: The Secret Plot to Bring Back KGB Terror may never have been published except for the death of its author, a former KGB spy who died from a lethal dose of radioactive poisoning last year.
The book accuses Russia of detonating explosives in four apartment buildings in 1999, killing more than 300 people, then blaming Chechen rebels.
The New York Times article claims,
...Litvinenko was not the first former or current Russian official associated with the book to be assassinated. The authors chronicle the slayings of three of their principal sources, all members of parliament. Two were shot dead; the third was poisoned.
Russia has banned the book, only adding to the speculation that there is truth to the book's claim.
