Friday, October 5, 2012

Looking for a Ghost Story for the Family? By DL Larson

Each October I pull several "ghostly and haunting" type books to display on my shelves at the library.  The one that goes out regularly is called, The Old Willis Place,  A Ghost Story, by Mary Downing Hahn.  The writing is superb and the premise is very different for these young characters, Diana who is 12, and her brother Georgie, 8. 

Diana and Georgie live in the woods on the farm of the Old Willis Estate.  They can not leave and they can not make friends with anyone.  It's one of the rules they have been given.  Yet a new caretaker and his daughter Lissa make the old rule seem dumb and unnecessary.  Lissa befriends Diana who has been lonely and longing for a companion.  They do the unthinkable ~ they enter the old Willis house.  Diana knows this will release more bad things, but she can't keep Lissa from exploring the once magnificent house.  The very house her folks used to work in before the bad thing happened.

Diana must convince Lissa to help her or more bad things will happen.  But Lisa doesn't believe in ghosts.  At least she didn't until she set in motion the very thing that could lead to Diana and Georgie's demise. 

If you are looking for a great story to read as a family, The Old Wills Place will not disappoint anyone.  It's intriguing, scary but not too scary, and opens the imagination to wonder if this could really happen.

The Old Willis Place is a quick read and will hold everyone's attention! 

Do you have any "haunting" books you like to read?  Share with us!

Til next time ~

DL Larson

2 comments:

Margot Justes said...

Deb,
What a wonderful recommendation.
Margot

Deb Larson said...

Hope you have time to read it!
Thanks for stopping by ~
DL Larson