Hahn, Mary Downing. Wait till Helen comes. New York
Brief plot description:
Molly and Michael’s mother has just remarried, and they move into an old church. Molly must share a room with Heather their stepsister. The church comes with a graveyard that scares Molly, but Heather likes tombstone H.E.H. One day Molly discovers Heather talking to someone named Helen, a ghost. Heather finds an old house that is falling down with a pond near it. While she is showing Michael the house they see Heather standing in the pond. When Michael tries to get her out of the pond she fights with him. Heather tells them that the girl's name is Helen Elizabeth Harper and she is her friend and their enemy. What will happen to the family? What will happen to Helen?
Brief review:
This is a good ghost story that will appeal to students fourth through eighth grade. The suspense builds as one reads the story. It would be a good individual read and also a good read aloud. One of the things that is stressed is the value of families and how in a blended family the members must get to know each other and care for each other.
Genre label:
Modern Fiction
Reading level/interest level:
4th- 8th grade
Character names/descriptions:
Molly
Michael
Heather- 5 year old stepsister
Helen- Ghost
Similar materials in style content, theme or characters:
The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman
Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn
Awards:
Rebecca Caudil Young Reader’s Book Award (Illinois)
Texas Bluebonnet Award
Iowa Children’s Choice Award
Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award (Minnesota)
Dorthy Canfield Fisher
Children’s Book Award (Vermont)
Volunteer State Book Award (Tennessee)
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader’s Choice Award
Young Hoosier Book Award (Indiana)
Golden Sower Award (Nebraska)
Virginia Young Readers And Beehive Award (Utah)
No comments:
Post a Comment