X Marks the Haunt

Gr 4-8–Twelve-year-old Will Stone feels most at home at Chicago’s Graceland Cemetery and Arboretum, his mother’s workplace. He walks its 120 acres and studies cursive to decipher historic interment records. After a late-night cemetery prank by a classmate, though, Will no longer feels the cemetery’s peaceful welcome. Its energy has suffered a ghostly disturbance, and Will and his friends must uncover its story before the haunting destroys the cemetery. Will is aided by his faithful, humorous, chestnut-haired friend Stash, as well as his two new friends Henry and Michelle, portrayed with freckles, blue eyes, and blond hair. Currie has written a heart-pounding ghost story wrapped up in a compelling framework of friendship and personal morality. At first, Will fears that his class trip to the cemetery will yield mockery and an unforgettable nickname. But, as he gets to know Henry and Michelle, he realizes that his cemetery life is his core identity and can be shared with friends. Will’s first-person narration lets readers see the conventions, practices, and human stories behind a working cemetery. As the ghost appears, blood bubbling from the ground, unexplained windstorms, and phantom cries will please middle grade horror readers, while staying within the bounds of an age-appropriate scare. While uncovering the ghost’s identity is deeply satisfying, Will’s respect for the lives of cemetery residents is the story’s lasting legacy. Most characters are cued white.