Most Popular Books by Betty Ren Wright

"Boys and girls alike will appreciate the mix of classic and contemporary elements in this creepy, suspenseful middle-grade mystery" ( The Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books ). Roddy Hall overhears his mother saying "Princess" is coming to visit. He''s excited—he''s always wanted a dog. But then he finds out that— ick—Princess is a girl and— yuck—she''ll be staying for a whole week. One night, Princess, Roddy, and his best friend, Jacob, notice a mysterious car pull up to an abandoned house. Could it be a burglar? Or worse yet, a ghost? Princess is determined to find out, and against his better judgment, Roddy goes along with her. They sneak out of the house to investigate—but will they be ready for what they might find? Princess for a Week is a Society for School Librarians International Honor Book.

Dolls can''t move by themselves. . . . Or can they? This special anniversary edition of the hair-raising mystery that''s kept readers up at night for thirty-five years features a foreword by Goosebumps creator R.L. Stine and a new embossed, glow-in-the-dark jacket. Amy is terrified. She hears scratching and scurrying noises coming from the dollhouse in the attic, and the dolls she was playing with are not where she left them. Dolls can''t move by themselves, she tells herself. But every night when Amy goes up to check on the dollhouse, it''s filled with an eerie light and the dolls have moved again! Are the dolls trying to tell her something? Could this all be connected to the murders of her great-grandparents? Sinister secrets unravel as Amy gets closer to revealing the mystery of the dolls in this haunting novel that combines complicated family relationships with a bone-chilling mystery. Even readers who love scary stories will want to keep the lights on after finishing! On many state reading lists and an Edgar award nominee when first published, the hardcover edition has been unavailable for years. The all-new foreword and jacket make this spooky classic perfect for sharing with a new generation.

While staying at her aunt''s farm, a girl searches for her missing dog—and a mysterious vandal. Vannie Kirkland is spending the summer on her Aunt Bert''s farm while her parents are looking for work in California. At first, she feels uncomfortable: Aunt Bert is cranky and plainspoken, and she constantly reminds Vannie of how much she dislikes Vannie''s yappy little dog, Muffy. Then, just when Vannie is beginning to appreciate Aunt Bert and her way of life, trouble starts brewing. Someone has been lurking around the farm, vandalizing the property. To top it all off, Muffy gets lost! Vannie helps Aunt Bert figure out who''s trying to scare them, captures the culprit, and learns a thing or two about what it means to compromise.

This fifth-grader is not too fond of her new step-grandmother—"an affecting funny story" ( Publishers Weekly). When summer comes, Emily is looking forward to spending more time with Grandfather. Ever since Grandma Ellen''s death, Emily has felt especially close to him. He''s never too busy to listen to her, and he always understands her feelings. But Emily''s summer is unexpectedly ruined when Grandfather returns from a vacation with a new wife. Her name is Marjorie, and Emily hates her. There''s no way Marjorie can replace Grandma Ellen, and she''s certain to destroy Grandfather''s happiness. So Emily decides to get rid of her. The jealousy and problems caused by Marjorie''s arrival are refreshingly handled in the first novel by Betty Ren Wright.

A girl''s scary dream may come true in this "fast moving" story starring "a likable and believable heroine" ( School Library Journal). Meg''s nightmare about a thin, gray-haired man who beckons her to follow him through a dark doorway will no doubt come true. That''s the way it is with all of her "real" dreams, the ones that her grandmother calls "a secret window into the future." Meg suspects that her dream is about sixteen-year-old Caleb Larsen''s father, who died in a car crash after allegedly stealing $50,000 from a local bank. Could Mr. Larsen be trying to reach Caleb and his mother through Meg''s dreams? Is he trying to reveal the truth about what happened? As Meg''s nightmare begins to come true, she learns to cope with her own past as well as Caleb''s, and to see the present in a different, more positive light.

Jenny''s new house has an unwanted ghost: "Readers will enjoy the imaginative pranks of the specter and the resourceful way [Jenny] solves her problem" ( School Library Journal). Jenny knows she should be excited about the beautiful old house that her mother has inherited from Miss Nagle. She''ll finally have her own bedroom, and the place even comes with Rufus the cat, a ready-made pet. But when Jenny visits the house, she''s scared out of her wits. Giant snakes, elephants, and all kinds of terrifying creatures lurk around every corner. With a little help from Rufus, Jenny discovers who''s behind these spooky happenings. It''s the ghost of Miss Nagle''s grandmother, the once-famous witch of Willowby Lane. The ghost witch loves to scare people, and she thinks Jenny and her friends will be perfect targets. Jenny decides to meet the ghost witch face-to-face in this scary, yet delightful short-chapter book.

Eleven-year-old Emily invents a variety of schemes to get rid of her new step-grandmother since she poses a threat to Emily''s close relationship to her grandfather.

After Grandma dies the annual visit to her summer cabin is not the same but the cat next door remembers how things used to be and cheers a grieving grandchild.

While running an errand during a snowstorm, Alexandra, a daydreamer, finds that reality also has its advantages.

Meg''s dreams seem to predict the future—but can she make a better future for herself? "Filled with sensitivity and warmth" ( Children''s Book Review Service). "It was crazy to have dreams that came true. If you talked about them, it''d upset the people you loved and make them angry. Meg had learned something bad about herself, an ugly secret." And so she decided to keep the dreams to herself, writing them down in a special notebook. Sometimes her dreams were pleasant, but other times they were disturbing—especially the one about the cave with the blue light. When Meg''s worst dreams begin to come true, she''s convinced they bring bad luck. Why else would her father move out to "find himself" or her best friend desert her for a rowdy crowd of older kids? Meg''s grandmother and a wonderful new neighbor finally help her realize that her "secret window" into the future can bring good luck, if understood properly.

Brenda''s treehouse provides her with the privacy she needs to make a few discoveries about herself.

Something chilling lurks underground, and two step-siblings must unite to uncover the truth in this "engrossing mystery" ( Booklist). Katie knows that something eerie is happening in the old, deserted town where she, her stepbrother, and her newly widowed mother are spending the summer taking care of Uncle Frank. Sometimes, when Katie puts her ear to the ground in Uncle Frank''s backyard, she hears a groaning noise that sounds almost human. But when a crippled ghost-girl appears to her out of the gloom in an abandoned mine, Katie is at once terrified and puzzled. Could the girl''s chilling appearance have something to do with a tragic mining accident thirty years before? In a fiery climax, Katie and her rebellious stepbrother learn the truth about the past and discover things about each other that strengthen their fragile relationship.

Policeman Jack''s dog Belle and cat Kitty do their bit to fight crime on a daily basis and combine forces to capture a burglar.

The new kid in school accepts a dare—and finds himself facing some spooky and surprising consequences: "[A] page-turner" ( Booklist). Matthew Barber thinks that being the new kid in school will be the scariest thing about fourth grade. But is he ever wrong! When the class bully challenges him to spend the night in Healy Elementary, Matthew learns that the rumor of a ghost teacher wandering the halls is more than just a story. And because he has already lost his classmates'' trust by lying about his old school, no one believes the terrifying truth: There is a ghost, and she knows Matthew''s name . . . and she won''t let him rest until she gets what she wants! The Ghost in Room 11 has won the Florida, Iowa, and Oklahoma Children''s Book Awards.

As two brothers try to reunite the lonely ghosts of a farmer and a sheepdog, "readers will be cheering them on every step of the way" ( Publishers Weekly). In this short-chapter winner of the IRA Children''s Choices, Peter and Martin enjoy living atop Popcorn Hill, except for two things: They long for a big dog and their cabin is haunted by a lonely ghost. They do get a frisky mutt named Rosie, but she''s not as big or as appealing as the stray sheepdog that has been roaming around outside. When the boys learn the sheepdog is a ghost, however, they devise a plan for bringing the two ghosts together. In the process, they learn to appreciate their real pet, Rosie.

Erin''s new adopted brother has ruined everything—but there are scarier things than having to share the spotlight in this "compelling summertime adventure." ( School Library Journal). Erin enjoyed being Erin Lindsay, the much-loved only child of schoolteacher parents. Everything in her life was just he way she wanted it, until nine-year-old Cowper moved in. A musical prodigy, he was adopted by Erin''s parents after his mother and father were killed in a car crash. Suddenly, Erin was no longer the center of attention. Her parents became obsessed with Cowper. Now Erin faces a long, lonely summer away from her friends and familiar surroundings. The Lindsays are renting an apartment in Milwaukee so Cowper can take piano lessons at the conservatory. Erin is crazed with boredom, until she meets senior citizen and medium Molly Panca . . . and experiences the scariest night of her life.

After her widowered father remarries, a young girl''s cat helps her make a few important discoveries about herself.

Two girls suspect an abandoned mansion is haunted—but will anyone believe them before it''s too late? "[A] well-written, shivery ghost story" ( Booklist). Beware! At first, Charli is excited about the Crandall family''s newest endeavor—fixing up the town''s old mansion and turn it into a bed-and-breakfast. She even volunteers to help. Then strange things begin to happen. Charli hears someone singing—but no one is there. She sees the shadow of a rocking cradle—but there is no cradle. And then she hears a baby crying, and crying. . . . Something terrible happened in the old house many years ago. And it may happen again, unless Charli can figure out how to stop the past from repeating itself.

A dollhouse filled with a ghostly light in the middle of the night and dolls that have moved from where she left them, lead Amy and her retarded sister to unravel the mystery surrounding grisly murders that took place years ago.