Wylly Folk St. John (1908–1985)

The cover of this book sucks me in every time. It's in the grand old tradition of half-spooky, half-fantasy covers of the 1970s, and the idea that the house the family is moving to is haunted just adds to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, without giving you a spoiler, I can say that the plot doesn't exactly live up to that, but that there is enough unusual touches (the riddle of the Seven Crows, several mysterious hiding places, etc) to intrigue. Ok, so the ending might be more prosaic show more (perhaps?) but I treasure the feeling of starting the story and hearing about the girl whose grandmother might have left a treasure and so on. show less

Still Remember This From the 70s….

I loved THE GHOST NEXT DOOR in grade school, and it is dated, but it’s still a pretty good supernatural children’s book, nonetheless.

Twelve-year-old Lindsey Morrow lives near Atlanta, where the houses are surrounded by large, wooded lots and many of the neighbors are doctors of one kind or another. She and her best friend, Tammy, begin to investigate when strange things occur around Sherry Alston - a visiting niece of their next-door neighbor. Is show more Sherry really communicating with the spirit of her sister who drowned in the pond thirteen years ago? Finding the owl with love in its eyes will lead to the answer. show less

This book is actually written by Wylly Folk St. John. It is illustrated by Judith Gwyn Brown. If you look at the cover you will see the actual author's name. It was recommended by someone in my children's literature book group. It is a fun kid's mystery. I felt a little distanced from the characters. Enjoyed it anyway.

One of my favorite books from my childhood. I should bring it home for Madeleine to read.