Scary Places

Eleven mansions and their ghostly stories are presented in this rather fascinating book. A photograph of each location along with a brief description of the events that supposedly happened their give the reader just enough information to make him/her wonder about their reality. This is the sort of book that young readers who want to be scared and who prefer nonfiction books enjoy. The book is nicely designed and works well for reluctant readers.

If you have young patrons who have a fascination with the macabre (and what librarian doesn’t?), owning these titles will make your library a popular place. Each book commences with an overview of the book’s topic, followed by a two-page spread containing a brief description of the location and a scary tale or two about 11 selected spooky places. Some accounts of ghostly happenings are more plausible than others; some are downright troubling, such as the description of treatment of the insane as late as the 20th century. All have illustrations that include drawings and photographs, along with an inset of factoids set off in a textbox with a skeleton border. Each book contains a glossary, bibliography, resources, and a map showing the locations of the haunted sites described…. This series will appeal to upper elementary and middle school grades and should motivate reluctant readers. Recommended.

This series explores high-interest topics engagingly… Each double-page spread features an actual “scary place,” with paragraphs of history and some examples of spooky happenings…. Accessible language and sensationalized content will keep these books from growing dusty on library shelves.