Stacy Rosenthal (Library Media Connection, April 2009)
Hahn has written an enjoyable ghost story that reminded me of Skellig by David Almond (Delacorte Press, 1999). Travis, who narrates the story, and his sister Corey spend the summer at their grandmother’s reputedly haunted Fox Hill Inn in Vermont and just as they have done everywhere else, they cause trouble by pretending to see ghosts. But the trouble they seem to cause is that they wake up the real sleeping ghosts, or do they? The book keeps readers asking if the ghosts really exist and what will happen to Fox Hill, grandmother, and the siblings. Librarians should be aware that one of the ghosts, Miss Ada, had hung herself from a tree, and she tries to encourage Travis to do the same, but he does not. There is some challenging vocabulary. This would make a great read-aloud for Halloween or for a class studying mysteries. Recommended 2008, Clarion Books, 192pp., $16 hc. Ages 9 to 14.

Debbie Carton (Booklist, May 1, 2008 (Vol. 104, No. 17))
Hahn has mastered the art of the not-too-creepy ghost story for upper-elementary-school readers, and this latest offering combines chills, thrills, and poignant historical fiction. Twelve-year-old Travis and his younger sister, Corey, are spending the summer with their grandmother at her Vermont bed-and-breakfast. Born mischief makers, the siblings hear that the inn is rumored to be haunted and decide to manufacture some ghostly effects for the guests. Unfortunately, they arouse the real ghosts: young boys who died in the early 1800s, when the property was the county poor farm, and Miss Ada, the evil spinster who caused their deaths. The rambunctious young ghosts cause a lot of ruckus, but they are ultimately endearing beings, whereas Miss Ada is deliciously horrible. Readers will learn about the history of poor farms while reveling in the genuinely creepy hauntings Hahn describes so well. The truly scary cover may deter some readers; reassure them this title belongs to the same comfortably spooky genre as The Doll in the Garden (1986) and Wait till Helen Comes (1989). Grades 4-7