|
School Spirits
 Patrick never wanted to move to Waskasoo City. He has no friends there, his dad is going to be the school principal, and some bullies have decided to welcome him in their own special way. And then there’s the school itself. Craven Hill School looks like a spooky old castle, with its looming towers, long dark staircases, and forbidding bell tower. And scary it is.
Late one night, while waiting for his father to finish work, Patrick finds himself drawn down the school’s dark hallway and up its gloomy stairs. There he sees a young boy materialize before him and then disappear into thin air. That’s just the beginning of Patrick’s troubles—because the ghost keeps coming back, and he’s getting more and more powerful. Desperate to find out what’s going on, Patrick begins to investigate. And he discovers that more than fifty years before, a young boy disappeared from Craven Hill School forever. And like Patrick, he was new to the school and his father was the principal.
Buy School Spirits on Amazon.com.
Recogniton:
- Parents’ Choice 1998 Story Book Recommendation.
- Nominated for the Utah Children’s Book Award.
- Paperback edition, Boyds Mills Press, 2005.
What the Critics Said:
“In this fast-paced story set in the 1950s . . . the characters ring true. The dialogue moves the plot along and is well-integrated into the storyline. [Readers] will be drawn in by the clear, succinct writing and the anticipatory mood. The telling is solid and doesn’t rely on buckets of blood or hacked bodies to entice readers.” (School Library Journal, Margaret Kinney)
“… a good choice for children who are outgrowing Goosebumps books, and the 1958 setting is a change of pace from contemporary horror tales.” (Booklist, Susan Dove)
Building into an exciting page-turner, this book - with an inviting format with large print and wide margins - is wonderfully scary yet kindly. A book as visual as a film. (Parents Choice.)
Additional Features:
My first elementary school, Central School in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. It was the inspiration for Craven Hill School as described in the book. Note the illustration on the book jacket. |
Central School burned down in 1970. However, you can still see the “tube”—the fire escape described in the story—to the far right. There was a spiral slide inside the tube.
|
School Spirits. Boyds Mills, 2005. (Original publisher: Holiday House, 1997.) (Novel)
|
