Hauntings And Other Tales of Danger, Love, And Sometimes Loss

Author: Betsy Hearne

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Publication Year: 2007

Lexile: 1300L (This book is not in the Lexile Book Database. I used the Lexile Analyzer to get this value.)

Most of the readers will be: Middle and High Schoolers who like folk tales or scary stories. Boys and girls.

Readers Advisory: For those interested in more stories from Ireland, try Nory Ryan's Song, an historical fiction novel by Patricia Reilly Giff.

Summary:
This is a book of short stories divided into three sections. The stories in the first section take place in the past and are mostly set in Ireland. The stories in the second section take place in the present and are set mostly in the United States. The stories in the third section are set in heaven and hell and are timeless. Not all of the stories are about hauntings but those that aren't fall into one of the other categories indicated in the title: danger, love, and/or loss.

My favorite passage:

By this time I was back at the table not listening to Mom and Dad and Julie plan the future, but thinking about the baby-sitter. And I got this creepy feeling, like who was she and why did she volunteer at the last minute? Anybody could say they were a baby-sitter and walk off with my little sister. She'd follow them in a minute if it meant having an adventure like her beloved hobbits. And anybody who had hold of my little sister wouldn't have to worry about my identifying anybody at any time ever. Mom told me to stop squirming, but I couldn't. I practically dragged them out of the restaurant, and they were laughing, trying to keep up with me back to the hotel. When we unlocked the hotel room door, everything was dark except for the TV flickering. The sitter was there, waiting with her coat on to go home, and Megan was a little heap asleep in the bed. I kind of slumped onto my cot, feeling like a fool, but also feeling like the world would never be safe again. (pg 88-89)

What I really think:
The title (Hauntings) and cover of this book make it seem like a "scary story" book. This is what I was expecting when I picked it up. As a scary story book it is a disappointment. Kids who actually want shivers should read Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories series.
The Irish stories would work better told aloud. They have more plot than characterization. This is very typical of the oral tradition but if the stories are to be moved into the realm of writing, they need to be fleshed out. Or they could be presented as stories the reader can learn to tell, complete with instructions. These are also the least scary stories in the book.
The American section is my favorite. These stories really deal with issues, like death, and have characters we can sympathize with. These are the scariest stories, and it isn't because of the supernatural, it is because of things like terrorist bombings.
The stories from Heaven and Hell are charming. They leave you with something to think about.