Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their younger stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard.
If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse.
But they do—when Helen comes.
"Genuinely scary, complete with dark secrets from the past, unsettled graves, and a very real ghost." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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"Imagine if your mom told you that you were moving, to live in a broken down church. And the worst part there was a grave yard in your backyard. Thats exactly what Molly, Michael, and their stepsister Heather did."
— Breanna (4 out of 5 stars)
“Genuinely scary, complete with dark secrets from the past, unsettled graves, and a very real ghost.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books" it was like reading deep dark and dangerous but with a horrble plot....any one whos read that books knows how awesome it is but this is the exact oppisite. "
— Rose, 2/14/2014" A scary tale about a step sister who makes friends with a ghost in the graveyard next to the new house the family moves into. I reccomend this to people that have a taste for scary books. "
— 10~11, 2/5/2014" This creeped me out so, so much as a kid. I loved it. "
— Caroline, 1/22/2014" For a children's book (and a ghost story) this one had a lot of heart. If I read this as a child I would have probably been frightened by it a bit. It wasn't scary, but it did hold my attention and overall, the ending was alright. Quick children's read for people who like ghost stories. 6.5/10. "
— Diana, 1/22/2014" Reading this as an adult was as chilling and haunting as it was when I was a kid. "
— Whitney, 1/19/2014" Even though this is considered a children's book, it had me totally creeped out and spooked the whole time. I really enjoyed the story! "
— Karlye, 1/16/2014" My 4th grade self gives it a solid 5 stars :) "
— Emily, 1/7/2014" Reading the blurb and the good reviews on this site I expected a suspenseful ghost story but was very disappointed to find the characters lifeless, the plot wooden and predictable and the sudden ending too simple and good-to-be-true. Even the ghost was more pathetic than scary, and the character of Heather so annoying that it was painful to read on. If you want a good suspenseful read that makes you want to sleep with the lights on, this book does not deliver. Maybe the story appeals more to younger readers, as it is a ghost story without being too scary and has a happy ending, but as an adult reader I was disappointed. "
— Heidi, 1/7/2014" I think it was a very good book and the kind of book I like, ghost-like!!!! "
— Etta, 12/31/2013" I read this book a lot when I was younger, and it totally freaked me out! ;) It's such a fun childrens' classic, and would recommend it if you want a quick, interesting read. "
— brie, 12/27/2013" i recamened this book to everyone its just so amazing "
— Sarah, 12/25/2013Mary Downing Hahn, a former children’s librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories, including Deep and Dark and Dangerous and The Old Willis Place. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her two cats, Oscar and Rufus.
Ellen Grafton has narrated numerous audiobooks, many in the kids and young adult categories. She can be heard on such titles as Duff, Girls Acting Catty, New Beginnings, and several of the Chicken Soup for the Soul Teens Talk series.