Book Review: Seven Dead Pirates

SEVEN DEAD PIRATES by Linda Bailey is a humorous paranormal adventure about a boy who helps a gaggle of ghosts retake their pirate ship from a local museum.

After Lewis’s great grandfather dies, the shy eleven-year-old and his family moves into his great-grandfather’s creepy seaside mansion. Lewis soon discovers that the ghosts of seven pirates live in the secluded tower that’s now his bedroom. These spooky characters aren’t interested in haunting. Instead, they want to steal their pirate ship from the history museum and set sail for the pirate utopia known as Libertalia.

Perfect for a Halloween month read-aloud, this middle grades fantasy is full of paranormal fun and emerging friendships. Children will easily empathize with Lewis and his motley crew of apparitions. This book will quickly become a popular part of the library’s Halloween book display.

Librarians will also find the book to be a great focal point for a pirate themed event. Need ideas? Go to the Talk Like a Pirate website at http://www.talklikeapirate.com.

To learn more about the author, go to http://www.lindabaileybooks.com/.

Published by Tundra, an imprint of Random House on September 8, 2015.

Book Review: Serafina and the Black Cloak

SERAFINA AND THE BLACK CLOAK by Robert Beatty is a spooky fantasy sure to capture the imagination of middle grade readers.

Set in 1899, Serafina and her adoptive father live in the basement of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. When children staying at the estate begin to disappear, Serafina attempts to solve the mystery of their disappearance and ultimately discovers a connection to her own unusual origin.

From the first few pages, readers will be curious about Serafina’s past and speculate about her peculiar appearance and talents. Beatty’s masterful balance of suspenseful situations involving the man with the black cloak and sweet encounters between Serafina and Braeden make this fantasy appealing to a wide range of readers.

Librarians will find an audience for this book with children who enjoy fast-paced suspense, historical mystery, and spooky fantasy. However lovers of historical fiction, magical creature characters, and friendship stories will also find the book appealing.

To learn more about the author, go to http://robert-beatty.com/.

Published by Disney-Hyperion on July 14, 2015.

App Review: The Castle of Nightmares

THE CASTLE OF NIGHTMARES by Denis Jugo is a creepy interactive ebook about a boy’s experience with scary dreams.

Ten-year-old John becomes immersed in a dream where he tries to save a group of children from the queen of nightmares. Aimed at the lower middle grades, the story is spooky without being scary.

Readers work their way through the linear reading experience by clicking the forward or backward arrows. Interactive elements are found on each page from animating creepy spiders to exploring a castle map. Spooky music and sound effects are woven throughout the story.

The visuals are attractive and the animations contribute to the creepy atmosphere. While the font is generally easy-to-read, there are places where the text color could use more contrast. Some paragraphs are centered rather than left aligned making them a little more difficult to read.

While the writing won’t win any literary awards, it’s fine for budding fans of Alfred Hitchcock or other creepy classics. This ebook is perfect for reading under the bedcovers during a thunderstorm.

Librarians will find this ebook fantasy to be a hit with those who enjoy interactive stories.

To purchase/download the book, go to https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id633303329?mt=8.

Published by Pixy Interactive.

Book Review: The Mothman's Curse

THE MOTHMAN’S CURSE by Christine Hayes is a spooky thriller for middle grade readers.

Living in America’s most haunted town, Josie is accustomed to strange happenings in her family’s auction house. However, the appearance of a Polaroid camera that captures images of a ghost draws Josie and her brother into a century old mystery. A ghost, a monster, and a cursed pin are just a few of the creepy things these witty siblings encounter as they try to prevent a disaster in their small Ohio town.

This fast-paced suspense will keep readers on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next. Hayes’ conversational writing style is easy to read and her characters are well-developed.

What will make the story even more compelling for young readers is the connection to with local legends about a real Mothman. Create a display featuring this book along with others about legendary monsters like Bigfoot and Sasquatch.

To learn more about the author, go to http://christinehayesbooks.com/.

Published by Roaring Brook on June 16, 2015.

Book Review: The Imaginary

THE IMAGINARY by A.F. Harrold is an entertaining middle-grades fantasy about imaginary friends.

In most novels, the imaginary friend plays the side-kick, but this isn’t the case in THE IMAGINARY. While his human playmate is in the hospital, Rudger takes center stage as an imaginary companion struggling to stay strong and avoid the evil Mr. Bunting.

Harrold’s rich language and quirky writing style will be attractive for many tween readers. Emily Gravett’s amazing, full-color artwork contribute to the appeal of this beautifully presented book.

Harrold’s work has been aptly compared to Neil Gaiman and Roald Dahl. Librarians will find the mix of eerie suspense with lighthearted humor a popular combination with tween readers.

For information about this amazing author and poet, go to http://afharrold.tumblr.com/.

For a website designed specifically for kids, go to http://www.afharroldkids.com/. The website contains videos and an image gallery related to the book.

Published by Bloomsbury Kids by March 2015.