PLUS A VERY SPOOKY #2 BOOK IN THIS SERIES: THE GHOST IN THE ATTIC
By Edgar Award Winner, Dori Hillestad Butler
Whoever heard of a friendship between a girl and a ghost? And who has been spooked at night, alone in bed, when sounds of creaking and someone moving around in the attic, coming up the stairs, or hiding in the bedroom closet, sound like a ghost?
Dori Hillestad Butler has created a fun first two books in an easy-read series that combines the themes of friendship, mystery, and spoof. If you are a budding detective like Claire, what better friend and co-detective to have than a very un-ordinary ghost like Kaz.
Claire is very careful when investigating ghost-problems for people, especially her neighbor, Mrs. Beesley. For example, she begins by picking up her notebook and asking important questions:
“So, tell my about this ghost,” she said to Mrs. Beesley as she crossed on leg over the other. “What do you hear?”
“Oh, all kinds of sounds. Rustling … thumping … scratching …something that sounds like marbles rolling all around the attic floor…..” Hmmm, Kaz knows how his ghostly little brother – John – loves rolling marbles across a wooden floor.
“Sometimes I hear someone crying, too,” Mrs. Beesley went on as Kaz swam under the kitchen table….Claire nodded and wrote that down ….everything and quite carefully.
In the end, Claire and Kaz discover a very different – and very real – culprit who has made a home in Mrs. Beesley’s attic. Quite a surprise to everyone. Case Closed!
The writing is full of action and dialogue. Simple illustrations add to the humor and give a struggling reader helpful clues. THE HAUNTED LIBRARY is a great book for a classroom read-aloud as well as a springboard to talk about fears and friendships.
I asked the author, Dori Butler, a few spooky questions:
ReaderKidZ: Dori, How did you become interested in ghosts?
Not sure, I’ve just always loved ghost stories. I had a babysitter who told me some pretty amazing ghost stories. She insisted they were TRUE stories and I believed her. I always wanted my mom to call her first…because she had the best stories. Huh, I haven’t thought about her in years. I wonder where she is? She could’ve been a writer!
ReaderKidZ: Did you see one or feel one in a quiet corner of a library? 
No, but I keep looking for one!
ReaderKidZ: If you were to meet a ghost, would you want to become friends? (What a howling good time that could be….).
You bet! Just like in my series, I have no reason to believe ghosts are scary or out to hurt me in any way. I would love for Kaz to be real and keep me 
company as he does with Claire. We had a “secret room” in our new townhouse. My husband cut a door into the wall so we now have some additional storage space. I had hoped when he cut into it we might find a ghost back there, but alas all we found was a lot of dirt and a plastic cup that one of the builders must’ve left. Thanks, and enjoy a fun, spooky read!
For other stops on the Haunted Library Blog Tour check http://www.kidswriter.com/blog/.
Thanks again to Dori Hillestad Butler for her ghoulish comments and for writing funny scary books.
