Spellbinder

Gr 5—7—Belladonna Johnson, 12, can see ghosts. While this unnecessary trait comes from her mother's side of the family, it becomes useful after her parents are killed in a car accident. Life at home remains the same, except that the rules of haunting mean one can never leave the house. Then one day, the ghosts of her parents vanish, as do all the other ghosts around the globe. With the help of her classmate, Steve, Belladonna sets out to locate the ghosts and to determine why they went missing. Helen Stringer narrates her debut novel (Fiewell & Friends, 2009). Her British accent provides the perfect backdrop to Belladonna's English hometown. While some character voices are stronger that others, the pacing is perfectly varied to match the dramatic and emotional highs and lows of the plot as Belladonna and Steve search for the clues needed to locate the Spellbinder, who holds the answers to the mystery. Fans of ghost stories and fantastical realms will delight in the imaginative and creative twists and turns of the plot and will anticipate the next installment.—Janet Weber, Tigard Public Library, OR