The Ghosts in the Attic

I read a lot of middle-grade books. Not just for review purposes but because sometimes it's just very enjoyable to read something innocent, funny, simple and entertaining. I find all sorts of great middle-grade books at local thrift shops, and on my local library's digital website. I have spent many a happy afternoon reading about the trials of middle school, kids solving mysteries and ghosts, monsters or even space aliens. Why not? I have discovered many wonderful children's authors, passed on many great books to my son and other kids, and reviewed some really awesome books.

I found Christina's Ghost by Betty Ren Wright on my library's website in audiobook format. Battling a cold for several days, I wanted to listen to a short, show more entertaining ghost story. And this book was perfect!

Christina and her sister are being sent to stay with their grandmother while their parents are on a 5-week trip to Alaska. Their Uncle Ralph drives the girls to their grandmother's house, only to discover she has gone into the hospital. Christina has to stay with her Uncle Ralph while her sister goes with an Aunt until their grandmother returns. Uncle Ralph is staying at an isolated, spooky house while a friend is out of town. He is doing research and really doesn't enjoy the company of children. Christina is bored. She's upset that her Uncle Ralph doesn't seem to like her, lonely and misses her parents, sister and grandmother. She decides to explore the area around the house, swim in the lake and try to fill her days as best she can. Then she starts seeing a little boy....a little boy who shows up when she is laughing or happy. But he only stays for a few seconds before....disappearing. Suddenly she is pulled into a mystery.....is the little boy a ghost? And why is he at the house? How is she going to convince Uncle Ralph that she's seeing a ghost?

This book was entertaining, and the audiobook, narrated by Carol Jordan Stewart, was easy for me to hear and understand. I have partial hearing loss, so when it comes to audiobooks I need good production value and a narrator who speaks clearly. I was able to understand and thoroughly enjoy this audiobook! Written for children, the story is relatively simple and short. The audiobook is just over two hours long. Perfect length for a car trip, appointment or other errand with the kids in tow. The story is well-paced, with humor sprinkled in. There are ghosts, but the tale is ago-appropriate for ages 7 and up. Nothing overly terrifying. Christina solves the mystery, and learns how to befriend an adult relative she doesn't know very well. I listened to this story, chuckling at the silly riddles Christina shared with her grumpy uncle, while doing housework. It made the afternoon brighter and the task less mundane. I highly recommend it to adults and children alike!

Betty Ren Wright wrote 25 children's books including The Dollhouse Murders and Ghosts of Mercy Manor. Her writing is age-appropriate for children, entertaining and spooky without being too scary for kids. Her stories also provide great entertainment for adults, too. It certainly brightened my afternoon! show less

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale about an independent girl stuck with her disapproving uncle in a remote cabin during the summer. Christina asserts her personality and refuses to be cowed. Not only is the main plot line resolved but the relationship between Christina and Uncle Ralph is also resolved with both characters ending up improved.

This was a fun re-read. I was in elementary school the first time I read this book, and it is the reason I love reading ghost stories as an adult. It was a fun trip down memory lane. It is just as spooky as I remember it!!!

I loved this book as a kid! It also terrified me, so I kept it hidden in the back of my bookshelf so I didn’t have to look at it!

Christina's excited to spend summer at her grandma's- until she finds out that she is going to spend part of it with Uncle Ralph (who clearly doesn't want her) instead. She amuses herself improving her swimming and reading riddles, but finds herself amusing the ghost of a little boy as well. As she discovers the dark past of the boy and a much meaner ghost, she also forges a connection with her uncle. Together, they solve the mystery of the house.

What I thought: It was a good story about how a bond can for just given the right circumstances. I liked the book because it was both a mystery, and ghost story. The book caught my interest immediatly and kept me interested until the very end. I really enjoyed reading this book it was fun, interesting, and captivating. The book kept my interest because of the mystery about the ghost of a young boy and a very evil man. I thought that the book had many different aspects in one. The book was about a young girl and the bond that was built between her and her uncle. Also a mystery of why the young boy had not moved on yet, and what or who was evil matter was in the attic. The book also showed how after everything that had happened Christina show more and her uncle came together to help one another.

Summary: A story of Christina and her unlce living at house for the summer. What they did not know was that there were also two ghosts living at the house too. One was a young boy who was brutally murdered simply because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, the other is his tutor who was hiding out because of a robbery that he and his friends commited. Christina and her uncle have to figure out where the stolen stamps are before both the ghost will move on.

Classroom Extensions:
1) I would read this book a couple of chapters at a time and at the end of each reading I would have my students write how the book made them feel and what they liked about the story so far. This excersise will help build my students writing skills.
2) After the book was finished I would hand out a story map for the students to feel out with there favorite scenes in the book. show less

Another spooky-yet-not-terrifying book I read as a kid that nonetheless creeped me out.