New Releases by Mary Downing Hahn

Hüte dich vor Helen ... Als ihre Mutter wieder heiratet, versuchen Molly und ihr Bruder Michael, sich mit ihrer neuen Stiefschwester Heather anzufreunden. Die macht aber immer nur Ärger. Heather lügt und benimmt sich daneben, und irgendwie bekommen die beiden immer die Schuld. Das Verhalten von Heather wird noch seltsamer, als sie immer öfter auf dem Friedhof hinter dem Haus spielt. Sie sagt, sie könne mit dem Mädchen Helen sprechen, die vor über 100 Jahren bei einem mysteriösen Feuer ums Leben kam. Michael glaubt nicht an Geister. Aber Molly ist sich da nicht so sicher, vor allem als Heather droht, dass Helen kommt und sie holen wird ... Mary Downing Hahn (geboren 1937) ist eine amerikanische Autorin, die für ihre gruseligen Geschichten für Jugendliche bekannt ist. Wait Till Helen Comes erschien 1986 und wurde ein Klassiker, der bis heute immer wieder aufgelegt wird. Ihre Werke enthalten selten grafische Gewalt, doch einige ihrer Themen eignen sich eher für Erwachsene, etwa Selbstmord, das Übernatürliche und psychische Erkrankungen. Aus diesem Grund werden ihre Bücher häufig aus Schulbibliotheken verbannt.

Diana and her little brother, Georgie, know every inch of the land around the old Willis place, a crumbling mansion that some people say is haunted. They climb the trees and swim in the pond. And they can do whatever they want, even stay up all night. They don't have to change their clothes, brush their hair, or go to school. They have total freedom--as long as they don't leave the grounds. When Lissa arrives with her father, the new caretaker of the estate, Diana is overjoyed. She's been wishing for a friend. She can show Lissa all her favorite spots, and they can share their favorite books. Maybe Lissa can even help her uncover the ghastly secret of the creepy old Willis house. But there are rules that must be followed in order to keep the peace. Diana and Georgie aren't allowed to make friends. If Diana makes contact with Lissa, she could unleash evil forces beyond her control . . . and then they'll all be sorry. For more spooky graphic novels from Mary Downing Hahn, check out Took, Wait Till Helen Comes, and All the Lovely Bad Ones!

In this eerie full-color graphic novel adaptation of one of award-winning author Mary Downing Hahn's most popular ghost stories, mischievous siblings pretend their grandmother's Vermont inn is haunted and awaken the real spirits who dwell there. Travis and his sister, Corey, can't resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother's quiet Vermont inn, where they're spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little "haunting" of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to the inn, and business booms. But Travis and Corey soon find out that theirs aren't the only ghosts at Fox Hill Inn. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Can these siblings lay to rest the restless spirits they’ve disturbed? For more spooky graphic novels from Mary Downing Hahn, check out Took, Wait Till Helen Comes, and The Old Willis Place!

From master of middle grade horror Mary Downing Hahn, a new thriller about bravery, unexpected friendship, and sinister cats that will captivate readers with its chilling mix of mystery and magic. Zoey loves spending the summer with her Aunt Alice, and her aunt's new house is the perfect place to cozy up with a good book. But she's unnerved by the overgrown forest next door, which is creepy even in the daytime and full of eerie sounds at night. Worse, there are rumors in town of a dark force in those woods. And Zoey can't deny that the wild black cats who live there seem to be watching her. When she encounters a mean old woman who claims to be their owner, Zoey realizes there's more to the cats than meets the eye. But little does she know that the closer she comes to discovering their secret, the more danger she's in . . .

Daniel doesn’t believe the woods behind his new home are haunted by an evil witch and her terrifying beast. But then his little sister disappears . . . and it’s up to him to find her. This chilling graphic-novel version of Mary Downing Hahn’s popular page-turner will thrill readers who love spooky stories. They say that a ghost witch lives in the woods, up on the hill. They say her companion has a pig skull for a face and stands taller than a man, his skeleton gleaming in the moonlight. They say that the witch takes young girls, and no one ever sees them again. Daniel doesn’t believe the stories. He figures the kids on the bus are just trying to scare him since he’s new. Still, he wishes his family had never moved here—their house is a wreck, Mom and Dad keep fighting, and his little sister, Erica, spends most of her time talking to her creepy doll. But when Erica disappears into the woods one day, Daniel knows something is terribly wrong. Has she been “took”? For more spooky graphic novels from Mary Downing Hahn, check out Wait Till Helen Comes, All the Lovely Bad Ones, and The Old Willis Place!

A contemporary thriller by the bestselling author of The Old Willis Place. Two 13-year-old boys, Arthur and Logan, set out to solve the mystery of a murder that took place some years ago in the old house Logan's family has just moved into. The boys' quest takes them to the highest and lowest levels of society in their small Maryland town, and eventually to a derelict amusement park that is supposedly closed for the season.

The ultimate gift for young readers who love thrills, chills, and spooky stories, here are three haunting tales from award-winning master of middle grade horror Mary Downing Hahn, together in one ghostly collection. Are you ready for a hauntingly good read? There are scares aplenty in this enticing collection of three of Mary Downing Hahn's most popular books: Took, The Girl in the Locked Room, and The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall. Daniel's little sister disappears in a forest haunted by witches and beasts. Jules is sure that someone--or something--lurks in the upstairs of her new house. Vengeful Spirit Sophia stalks the shadows of a gloomy manor, and dreams of the girl inside. Three of award-winning author Mary Downing Hahn's spookiest tales come together in this gathering of ghosts. Guaranteed to give you goosebumps!

From ghost story master Mary Downing Hahn, an assortment of eerie short stories to thrill and chill young readers.

Ghost story master Mary Downing Hahn unrolls the suspenseful, spine-chilling yarn of a girl imprisoned for more than a century, the terrifying events that put her there, and a friendship that crosses the boundary between past and present. A family moves into an old, abandoned house. Jules's parents love the house, but Jules is frightened and feels a sense of foreboding. When she sees a pale face in an upstairs window, though, she can't stop wondering about the eerie presence on the top floor--in a room with a locked door. Could it be someone who lived in the house a century earlier? Her fear replaced by fascination, Jules is determined to make contact with the mysterious figure and help unlock the door. Past and present intersect as she and her ghostly friend discover--and change--the fate of the family who lived in the house all those many years ago. A thrilling and unputdownable spinetingling ghost story from a bestselling master of the genre!

With their mother dead and their home burned, a thirteen-year-old boy and his little sister set out across Virginia in search of relatives during the final days of the Civil War.

Against the ominous backdrop of the influenza epidemic of 1918, Annie, a new girl at school, is claimed as best friend by Elsie, a classmate who is a tattletale, a liar, and a thief. Soon Annie makes other friends and finds herself joining them in teasing and tormenting Elsie. Elsie dies from influenza, but then she returns to reclaim Annie's friendship and punish all the girls who bullied her. Young readers who revel in spooky stories will relish this chilling tale of a girl haunted by a vengeful ghost.

A witch called Old Auntie is lurking near Dan's family's new home. He doesn't believe in her at first, but is forced to accept that she is real and take action when his little sister, Erica, is "took" to become Auntie's slave for the next fifty years.

Florence looks forward to a new life with her great uncle and aunt at an old manor house. But Florence doesn't expect the ghost of her cousin Sophia, who concocts a plan to use Florence to help her achieve her murderous goals.

At the same time that Matt and Parker find the body of the dead man in the creek, they recognize George Evans, the owner of the antique shop where Parker's mother works.

A white boy helps a black child escape slavery in the midst of the Civil War

While spending the summer at their grandmother's Vermont inn, two prankster siblings awaken young ghosts from the inn's distant past who refuse to "rest in peace."

Kit includes 6 copies of the book and discussion questions.

Just before summer begins, 13-year-old Ali finds an odd photograph in the attic. She knows the two children in it are her mother, Claire, and her aunt Dulcie. But who’s the third person, the one who’s been torn out of the picture? Ali figures she’ll find out while she’s vacationing in Maine with Dulcie and her four-year-old daughter, Emma, in the house where Ali’s mother’s family used to spend summers. All hopes for relaxation are quashed shortly after their arrival, though, when the girls meet Sissy, a kid who’s mean and spiteful and a bad influence on Emma. Strangest of all, Sissy keeps talking about a girl named Teresa who drowned under mysterious circumstances back when Claire and Dulcie were kids, and whose body was never found. At first Ali thinks Sissy’s just trying to scare her with a ghost story, but soon she discovers the real reason why Sissy is so angry. . . . Mary Downing Hahn is at her chilling best in this new supernatural tale that’s certain to send shivers down her readers’ spines.

Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their seven-year-old stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse. But they do—when Helen comes.

A "ripsnorting western . . . With plenty of twists and turns—and a cameo appearance by Doc Holliday—it's a real cowgirl triumph" ( Kirkus Reviews). In 1887, twelve-year-old Eliza Yates—disguised as a boy—sets out with her faithful dog Caesar to search for her missing father. Along the way, she falls in with gentleman outlaw Calvin Featherbone. "Together, they make their way to Tinville, Colorado, where, coincidentally, Calvin's father was killed by a certain Sheriff Yates. Calvin plans to avenge the murder, but he gets himself and Eliza in so much trouble with his amateurish schemes that the pair arrives in town ready to be hanged as horse thieves. Hahn's writing crackles like gunshot in the Ol' West, and Eliza and Calvin make a lovable team. The plotting is . . . tight and fast paced, and Hahn does a fine job of recreating the atmosphere of the days of cowboys and miners" ( Booklist). "Hahn has obviously done her research, and succeeds in bringing the ambiance of the Old West to her novel. The result is a fast, funny, and entertaining adventure that's just the thing for fans of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."— School Library Journal "An amusing comedy of errors that derives much of its humor from Calvin's speech and manners and Eliza's wry asides alluding to her true identity as a girl."— Kirkus Reviews

Sample Text

In the summer before World War I, nine-year-old Anna is happy to spend a week at her aunt and uncle's Beltsville, Maryland, farm until she meets Theodore, who calls her a "city slicker" and spurs her to prove that she's just as clever and brave as he is.

When he and his younger sister move in with their older brother after their grandmother dies, thirteen-year-old Gordy finds himself caught between the boy he was when he lived with his abusive father and the boy his grandmother was helping him become.

The sequel to the award-winning Stepping on the Cracks. "Sometimes heart-rending, sometimes funny, Gordy Smith will prove memorable to all who meet him."— Booklist (starred review) In Following My Own Footsteps, sixth-grader Gordy Smith comes to grips with the fear that he'll turn out no better than his abusive father . . . With his father now in jail and one brother hospitalized, Gordy's mother has no choice but to take the family to their wealthy grandmother's house in North Carolina. There Gordy meets William, a boy who had polio and is now wheelchair bound. Though they become friends, Gordy's plans to help William fail spectacularly. Matters only get worse when Gordy's father is released from prison and his mother is poised to give him a second chance. Gordy must decide where he belongs—with his dysfunctional parents or with the grandma who is more than his match in toughness, in courage, and in love. "A cast of unforgettable characters inhabit this work, seasoned with WW II setting but utterly contemporary in its concerns. Hahn is in top form, proving through Gordy's first-person narration that real love can triumph over all kinds of adversity, and often does."— Kirkus Reviews "The complex characterizations, period setting and Gordy's brave attempts to break a cycle of violence will hold readers' interest."— Publishers Weekly "It's a timeless social issue really, in any era, of having a dysfunctional abusive parent . . . A very good story showcasing complex friendships, familial relationships, and inner conflict, all set in WW2 America."—Cats and Fiction

As author Jessica and artist Daphne collaborate on a picture book for a seventh-grade English class contest, Jessica becomes aware of conditions in Daphne's home life that seem to threaten her health and safety. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

Mary Downing Hahn's latest ghost story is a fascinating tale of a unique friendship between two boys whose lives are eerily intertwined. Andrew can feel the presence of his ancestors in Great-Aunt Blythe's old house. His fantasies of ghosts and the past become all too real when another Andrew, who lived at the beginning of the century and died young, appears.

Forced to accompany their parents on their honeymoon in Spain, new stepsisters Amy and Felix find the animosity between them escalating, especially when Felix's boasting about family wealth to Grace, the mysterious world traveler, results in the kidnapping of the girls and their younger brother.

QUESTIONS Sensitive and idealistic fifteen-year-old Kelly McAllisterfeels at odds with everyone around her. Her best friendhas suddenly turned boy crazy. Her talented mothercreates greeting card designs instead of real art, andher father never talks to her about anything exceptworking hard and getting ahead. That's why Kelly becomes so involved in the plight of ahomeless Vietnam vet who takes refuge in the libraryeach day. Interviewing him began as a Social Studiesproject, but it takes on new meaning after her offers offood and friendship backfire into a real disaster.What had the war done to destroy this man? And whathad it done to her own father, who had been to thesame war ... and refuses to speak of it?

When Clint, a handsome, mysterious stranger, rents a room in Madigan's grandmother's house, Madigan becomes convinced that he is the father she's never met.

After Ashley and Kristi find an antique doll buried in old Miss Cooper's garden, they discover that they can enter a ghostly turn-of-the-nineteenth-century world by going through a hole in the hedge.