Ghost HR Spook HR CL

by Eve Bunting

Book Overview

A year-round tale about the witching hour of midnight. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0899194842
• ISBN13: 9780899194844
• Release Date: January 1987
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 32 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 9.3" x 8.8"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3

Customer Reviews

Haunting and charming

As much as I was determined to pass this off as just a little fake-you-out scary I was swept away by Bunting's incredible writing and the sheer sense of setting of how creepy a house can get in a storm. The narrator is a young boy with a dog who finds his home to be much scarier in the night than he expected and sets out on a quest to find his parents (who are mysteriously not in their bed). It's emotional, descriptive, and surprisingly chilling, even with the happy ending. I had kids getting the shivers. And you just can't hate a book that does that.

"Don't be scared, it's just the wind."

Eve Bunting carefully chooses her words, emphasizing the soundsa child hears at night after the power goes out. Young Jacob awakensto the "Woooo" of the wind outside his window, only todiscover that his bedside lamp won't turn on. While he tries toreassure his white, furry dog, Biff, as they wander through the scary,dark--and noisy--house, looking for his parents, he is actually tryingto reassure himself.I have never heard the tape that another reviewof this title refers to, but I love to read this story aloud toprimary students, making the most of the wonderful, slightly scarysounds described in the story.The comforting ending has the family,Mom, Dad, Jacob and Biff, tucked into the couch bed downstairs as Dadblows the candle out. Donald Carrick's illustrations help bring theeeriness, and then the ending coziness, to life.This is another oneof my favorite October read-alouds, along with "Big Fraid, LittleFraid," and other titles.

Suspenseful & reassuring for child afraid of the dark.Great!

My son is 3 1/2 years old and absolutely loves this book and cassette. I think it's terrific, too, because it tells an exciting and entertaining story that deals with typical childhood fears of the dark and creaky noises at night, but then everything has a reassuring explanation. The cassette is definitely a must-have, as it contains a lot of sound effects that add to the suspense. The boy who narrates the story also does a very good job, and I've actually enjoyed listening (and listening!) to it as my son has replayed it countless times. This book and cassette has been great in letting my son know that everybody gets scared sometimes and it's okay, but that your imagination can make things seem a lot scarier than they really are.