Bones of the Holy

Gr 6–8—Gilda Joyce is back in her fifth adventure (Dutton, 2011) by Jennifer Allison involving more typewritten psychic reports, her trademark wardrobe, and, of course, ghosts. This time, Gilda descends on the city of St. Augustine, FL, as her mother prepares for a shotgun wedding to Mr. Eugene Pook. While Gilda is less than thrilled at this turn of events, she becomes intrigued when she discovers that Mr. Pook's house/antique storage facility comes complete with a live-in spirit—the ghost of a woman in a white dress. Sure that there is a story behind the phantom, Gilda puts on her psychic glasses and begins investigating. One of the darker installments in the series, this tale has plenty of chills to keep listeners engrossed, and enough local history to interest social studies teachers. Add to that Jessica Almasy's superb narration, and listeners will spend several delightful hours being regaled by Gilda's tell-it-like-it-is reports and commentaries. Fans of the series will thoroughly enjoy this episode.—Michaela B. Schied, Indian River Middle School, Philadelphia, NY