A PROPERLY UNHAUNTED PLACE by William Alexander
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Rosa Diaz doesn’t know why her mother, the best Appeasment Specialist any haunted library had ever seen, would want to move to a town with no ghosts. Well, she does know why, but she doesn’t like it. They shouldn’t be trying to escape the memory of her father’s death. They should be honoring him. And living in an unhaunted town is just creepy. But as Rosa explores her new town, she realizes that it isn’t the unhauntedness unsettling her. Ingot is definitely haunted, but in a strange way, and for some reason, none of the inhabitants seem to see or remember the hauntings. With the help of Jasper, a Renaissance Faire squire, Rosa sets out to discover what is haunting Ingot and why.
An enjoyable mystery with two engaging young heroes, this story has both humor and intrigue to keep even a reluctant reader engrossed–plus enough depth of character and theme to make it enjoyable for the perceptive reader as well. I’d recommend it to middle grade fans of mystery, fantasy, and non-scary ghost stories.
Susan the Librarian 