The Dollhouse Murders

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright, 1983 Scholastic

     Amy Treloar, her sister Louann, and Amy's best friend Ellen discover a beautiful replica dollhouse of the family home. But playing with the house causes the dolls to reenact the murder of Amy and Louann's great-grandparents thirty years before.
     The girls believe the repeated reenactment of the grisly murder is trying to tell them something. They struggle to solve the murder. Aunt Clare, who owns the house and dollhouse, believes it was her fiancee, but there is evidence it could have been the gardener.
     In investigating the family secret Amy discovers her mentally challenged sister is much more capable than she originally thought. Amy learns that family endures even after trauma and works through the issues which have plagued her family for decades.
     Amy's story is suspenseful and deals with tough issues including trauma, crime, and mental illness. The crimes against the family are more than many children are ready for but handled in an age-sensitive manner. Wright's story is a powerful ghost story aimed at middle school readers.

The Ghosts Beneath Our Feet

The Ghosts Beneath Our Feet by Betty Ren Wright, 1984 Scholastic

     Uncle Frank isn't really Katie's uncle - only an elderly family friend living in a dying mining town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Katie, her mother, and her step-brother move in with Uncle Frank when her step-father dies. The trio experience typical family drama upon their relocation: Katie and her mother struggle with each other, and Jay rebels with a motorcycle fascination and a bad attitude.
     Katie hopes the summer in a small town will be fun with new adventures and new kids to meet. She is sorely disappointed when the kids are distant and the mining accident thirty years ago left the town reeling. Uncle Frank's son died in the accident but it isn't his ghost Katie runs into.
     The townsfolk warn of "knockers" - the ghosts of the miners who are trying to return to the surface. Katie meets a beautiful young lady who seems to be warning her about something. The apparition shows up outside the old mine, then in a mirror in Uncle Frank's house. Can Katie decipher the ghosts warnings before it's too late, or will she fall prey to the town's next great disaster?
     The Ghosts Beneath Our Feet delves into the aftermath of a community tragedy, be it a large or small group of people affected. Wright's story is aimed at middle-grade readers with a gentle scare and more accessible language.

The Ghost in the Third Row

The Ghost in the Third Row by Bruce Coville, 1987 Yearling Books

     Sixth-grader Nina Tanleven is trying out for the play and is scared. But she sees a beautiful woman in white in the audience encouraging her and knows there is nothing to fear.
     Nina and her best friend, Chris, do some research and discover a beautiful young actress was murdered in their very theater fifty years before. The girls continue to see the ghost of the woman in white throughout the production. With each encounter, they feel the lady is there to help, not to hurt the troupe.
     Someone is haunting the theater, though. Costumes are destroyed, scripts are shredded, and sets are knocked over when no one is there. Nina and Chris are the only ones who don't believe the real ghost is the one trying to stop the show. The cast and crew take precautions to avoid the superstitions that surround the destruction.
     The two sixth-grade girls refuse to believe the kind-looking pretty ghost could be causing such damage and danger. Nina and Chris decide to do some more sleuthing and discover - with the Lady's help - the ghostly damage is caused by a much less supernatural source.
     The Ghost in the Third Row is a quick and vibrant read in the Grand Theater. Nina and Chris are typical twelve-year-old girls with inquisitive minds and caring hearts. Middle-grade readers will enjoy this friendly ghost story.