FICTION

The Elevator Ghost

by Glen HUSER
illus. by Stacy Innerst. 168p. House of Anansi/Groundwood. Aug. 2014. Tr $14.95. ISBN 9781554984251; ebk. $12.95. ISBN 9781554984275.
COPY ISBN
Gr 2–6—Carolina Giddle is the new babysitter at the Blatchford Arms. Armed with ghost stories and snacks, she travels from apartment to apartment dispensing lighthearted spookiness and tasty snacks that calm and soothe the children of the building. Each chapter contains one short ghost story. The tales are relatively tame and are appropriate for readers new to the genre or those faint of heart rather than the true horror enthusiast. When readers are finally introduced to the ghost in the elevator, the result is less than spectacular.—Elizabeth Speer, Cisco College, TX
Carolina Giddle shows up at the Blatchford Arms apartment house one Halloween and disappears on the next, in between dispensing candy and babysitting and stories to the children who live there. Carolina's tales, slightly scary and unobtrusively bibliotherapeutic, nicely punctuate the episodic novel. The Blatchford Arms' resident ghosts add to the fun, and a concluding party for all provides a satisfying sendoff.
A less formidable Mary Poppins, Carolina Giddle shows up at the Blatchford Arms apartment house one Halloween and disappears on the next, in between dispensing candy and babysitting and stories--and truth and courage--to the children who live there. Drawing upon traditional lore and urban legend, Carolina's stories, slightly scary and unobtrusively bibliotherapeutic, nicely punctuate the episodic novel. The Blatchford Arms' resident ghosts, as well as Carolina's pet tarantula, add to the fun, and a concluding party for all concerned provides a satisfying sendoff for readers and for Carolina, off to chase a ghost of her own. roger sutton
Reviewed by Elizabeth Speer , Jul 01, 2014

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