Read more reviews at: www.litlaughlearn.comThis is another ghost story by Hahn. You may remember the Caudill winner All The Lovely Bad Ones by the same author. This eerie story takes place on the grounds of an old Victorian mansion. Georgie and Diana are brother and sister. They live in a cave on the property of the Old Willis Place where Mrs. Willis used to wreak havoc on the kids because they were mischief makers. Now Mrs. Willis is dead and the kids still haven’t been able to leave the place year after year. Diana is aware of rules. She can’t go in the mansion. She can’t let anyone see her. Georgie is sick of the rules and angry that they are bored and can’t go out into the world. He is also very anxious about the house.One day, a new caretaker moves in with his daughter Lissa. He is paid to look after the house while he works on his novel. Lissa feels the presence of other people on the property, but her father thinks she’s being silly. Lissa’s bike and teddy bear gets stolen. Her diary is read. She is mad. And a little scared.All Diana has ever wanted is a friend. And Lissa has new toys and books that Georgia can “borrow” so he doesn’t get bored. In her loneliness, Diana finally decides to break the rules and show herself to Lissa. She wants a friend. Lissa doesn’t know the truth about the siblings, but eery events lead them to slowly piece together the truth together.This book has a good mix of character introspection as well as thrilling action (found in the kids’ explorations). The narrator doesn’t reveal who the kids really are. Readers probably guess, given the subtitle, but the way it happened is the surprise in the book. And the telling of it is wonderfully chilling. Each of the characters has their own personality and motives. We even get to peak into Lissa’s mind with her few journal entries scattered throughout the story. The end is satisfying and it is a mild ghost story that middle grade readers will enjoy.If you’re looking for a spookier one, try Wait Til Helen Comes by Hahn. Or for spooky yet girly, try The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright.
IT IS SUPER GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I love it sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!
The story is about two children, Diana and Georgie, and must live by "The Rules Their Mind gave them."The story begins with Diana and Georgie watching the new caretaker for Oak Hill Manor, which is rumored to be haunted. They nickname the new caretaker Heron man because of his pale complexion and his long, skinny figure. Heron man has a daughter, Lissa, whom Diana would love to make friends with, although it would mean breaking "The Rules." They take Lissa's bike out for a ride at midnight. Geor
—Katie
Two children live in the woods surrounding an old abandoned house. They are alone expect for the times when a groundskeeper comes to live there. The newest one bring a young daughter with him. One of the children, Diana, is excited at the possibility of having a new friend. Her brother, Georgie, thinks this is a bad idea. He thinks it will break the vague rules they live by. It may also anger the other person still lurking around the property. When I started this book, I thought the children were ghosts. I also thought they may be alive at another point. I enjoyed that the story did not reveal the secret of the house or the children's past too soon. The theme of not being alone or abandoned was prevalent in every character, but I think will work well with young readers. I feel as though young children are often concerned with being alone and they would relate with the characters well through understanding or sympathy. I would suggest this book for a book club book or independent reading. I think it's the type of story a student would want to read in one or a few sittings. They would also want to discuss the story with someone else. I don't think there is enough to talk about for a solid whole class discussion.
—Samantha
Lissa's father has just been hired to be the new caretaker of the Willis estate. Lissa is 12 and it is just she and her father, a struggling writer, because her mother has recently passed away. Lissa is intrigued by the Willis mansion as she has heard that it is haunted by the ghost of Mrs. Willis, the previous home owner. As Lissa explores the grounds she meets two mysterious kids, a girl who is her age named Diana and her younger brother Georgie. Lissa finds the two odd, yet embraces the chance at any type of friendship as she is so lonely. The pair warn Lissa that the rumors about the haunted mansion are true, and that she should be sure to stay out. When Lissa disobeys their advice the reader is left to wonder whether these two children will come to Lissa's aid in time?I found this book to be very predictable. There is a major plot twist that I had figured out within the first few pages. If you can anticipate this, there is little that makes the story unique or memorable. This book is similar to another of Downing Hahn's novel's All the Lovely Bad Ones. I found All the Lovely Bad Ones to be a superior ghost story and far more entertaining. If you have a student looking for a good ghost story recommend All the Lovely Bad Ones first. If they then need a read alike because they can't get enough of stories like this, then you can recommend The Old Willis Place.
—Ed Casey
