Courtney Crumrin just doesn't fit in. All the kids in her junior high school think she's poor and weird, and the fact that she and her parents have moved in with creepy and mysterious Uncle Aloysius doesn't help. At night she hears strange noises in her bedroom, and sees small creatures in the shadows. Courtney decides to investigate, so she sneaks into her Uncle's private study. Inside it's like a wizard's den, filled with amulets, mystical books, and other strange objects. The more she reads from her Uncle's books, the more 'Night Things' she begins to see in the world around her. Courtney tries her hand at a little magic, makes deals with a otherworldly creatures, and even visits the Goblin Market. Throughout the book, the black and white pictures vividly illustrate the eerie and magical world that Courtney is being drawn into. Will she ever fit in? Will the Night Things ever leave her alone?

Similar authors: Neil Gaiman; Jennifer L. Holm; Kate Egan

Similar books: Coraline by Neil Gaiman; Babymouse: Queen of the World by Jennifer L. Holm

Reviewed by: lauraf

Date read: 5/8/2012

ISBN-10: 1929998600

ISBN-13: 9781929998609

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Sophia has an ability to see events before they happen, but she has learned to keep it a secret. It often gets her in trouble, and with a life of moving from one foster home to the next, she doesn't need any more trouble. When she moves in with the Crandalls, Will Crandall has just purchased an old mansion to turn into a bed and breakfast, but Sophia has a bad feeling about it. Charli, Will's niece, has a new stepfather, who thinks that 'Crandalls' Castle' is an awful idea. Charli is convinced the castle is haunted. When Charli and Sophia take jobs helping Will fix up the castle, strange things start to happen. Will Charli and Sophia find out the truth about the mansion before it's too late?

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 8/31/2011

ISBN-10: 0823417263

ISBN-13: 9780823417261

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What or who are the 'creepers'? Courtney, 13, has just moved to Murmur, Massachusetts with her parents where the family is living in an old stone house next to an old town cemetery. As an only child she wishes for a friend. Her father tries to clean up the overgrown yard, but has difficulty keeping the ivy from overtaking the yard. Courtney also notices there is a lot of ivy. Christian Geyer and his daughter Prudence had lived in the house a couple of centuries ago. Now another Christian Geyer with his daughter Margaret are living in a house down the road from the stone house and are giving tours of the cemetery. They share a secret with Courtney about Prudence and her grave. As the three friends are working on finding Prudence, Courtney's parents become involved in putting the puzzle together. Each chapter is started with a news clipping, or other piece of information that helps solve the puzzle�even a witch is involved. This is a great read for junior high readers. You will have fun trying to guess what is up. There are rich illustrations throughout the book with ivy running through the pages.

Similar books: Tombstone Tea by Joanne Dahme

Reviewed by: cj

Date read: 10/12/2009

ISBN-10: 0762433132

ISBN-13: 9780762433131

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Things are looking up for Zack. With a new stepmother, a new house, and a new dog, Zack is hopeful that the sad and bad things in his life are now over. Except now there is this ghost that has unfinished business and Zack is right in his way. Little by little, Zack discovers that things are not what they seem to be - a tree, white roses, a new friend. And it all goes back fifty years, to a car accident and how the lives of several families, including Zack's, have been intertwined, like the branches of the creepy tree at the crossroads.

Reviewed by: adf

Date read: 6/18/2009

ISBN-10: 0375846972

ISBN-13: 9780375846977

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A girl and her cousin come face to face with a ghost!

Reviewed by: St. Charles Reader

Date read: 10/22/2009

ISBN-10: 0618665455

ISBN-13: 9780618665457

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