Tag Archives: haunted house

361I: Colorful Girl Spooks Monsters in Haunted House

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I wonder if you can help me find a book!

Here’s what I can recall:
– A children’s book with a cover that, I believe, featured a pretty girl in a bright pink dress, cool 60’s cat-eye sunglasses, and perhaps a head scarf to cover her blond hair, driving a convertible into what looks like a dark tunnel in a mountain.
– I want to say the main character’s name is Lydia but I’m not certain
– She ends up in a dark, spooky house and freaks out the people? monsters? living there because of all of her bright colors
– She doesn’t seem scared of any of the spooky details, and she tries to turn their house into a nicer place with bright colors
– It’s not a spooky book, it’s silly and light, probably designed for readers in the 6-10 years age range?
– Based on the way she was dressed I’d say it was set in the late-60s but can’t be sure that that’s when it was written. The colors felt more 80s or 90s to me (lots of hot pinks and neon greens).

361F: Was Magical Prudence Really There At All?

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Looking for a young adult book involving a skinny girl with long dark hair named Prudence who is possibly befriended by main girl character. At first I thought they were sisters but not sure. She might have mysteriously moved in to empty town haunted house. Don’t remember her having mother or if did was absent or witch. Remember big hill and snow with kids being out of school – Prudence might have made it magically snow to get them as friends/stop picking on her. Then think she just up and left one day and it was wondered if she was actually ever there at all. Don’t know if she was school aged/ever went to school

360Y: “Lead us to you Sarah!” or “Keep knocking Sarah!”

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I read the book in the late ’90s? I had to have been in the 5th grade. I read a lot of paranormal books around that time! The book itself might have been a collection of ghost stories.  I don’t think it was “Stories to Tell in the Dark,” but I could be wrong.  All I know is that this particular story stuck with me for over twenty-five years.

A family moves into a house with their daughter. Could be just a single mom. The house was purchased after the woman who lived in it before passed. Soon after they move in the daughter starts having nightmares or is getting sick. She starts to talk about the ghost of a girl.

A medium is eventually called in and he holds a seance. The ghost’s name is Sarah (or Sara) and he asks that she knock to answer questions. Eventually, it is discovered that she is in on the property. With the knocks, she leads them to her resting place. “Keep Knocking Sarah!” or “Lead us to you Sarah!” is shouted by the medium. Her coffin is found behind the wall of the closet or the wall of the girl’s bedroom. Sarah is moved and buried next to her mother.

 

359R: Evil Ghost Tries to Bring Orphan Girl into her World (Solved!)

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Looking for a book where an orphaned young girl goes to live with her cousins – I think there were four cousins – two boys and two girls. I think the story was set in England because I remember a scene where the group goes out for fish and chips. The orphan is having a hard time adjusting and becomes friendly with a ghost who is haunting the house. The ghost – also a young girl – is trying to get the orphan to come into her world by dying. The orphan is eventually rescued from the evil ghost by her cousins

359E: Spooky Children’s Book (Solved!)

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I remember finding this in my elementary school library and haven’t found it since. I remember that its a picture book about a man who I think is down on his luck and he hears about an offer to stay at a haunted castle for a night and win money or something. I think I remember that he was pretty like chill through the whole night? And had like bread and cheese, and a horse or mule? I absolutely loved this book and I’ve been thinking about it on and off for several years at this point and I miss it.

358Z: Ghost book about a brother and sister with a good twist ending

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The book is about this brother and sister that wake up in their beds and discover they have woken up in their house but older looking without anyone able to see or hear them. They go on to help these ghosts living in their house against their evil aunt, who can occasionally sense the main characters. I remember a small joke about the little brother not knowing what a minor was and mistook it for a miner in an inheritance letter or something. In the end (spoilers) it is discovered that the main characters were ghosts all along and died falling into a frozen lake together and the Evil Aunt just liked vintage furniture.
Also posted onto reddit here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthatbook/comments/orc7yv/ghost_story_book_with_a_good_twist_at_the_end/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

347I: A book named Toby? (Solved!)

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I remember the cover was white with a monochromatic pencil-style drawing of a rundown old house with a bit of grass/ground in the foreground.
A lonely, rejected boy named Toby is forced into this spooky house by bullies, I believe near Halloween. The boy is 12? Possibly younger? I’m sure his name is Toby, and that is likely the name of the book, but I can’t find it by that title anywhere.
He has to spend the night in this old house because the bullies block/locked the doors. I believe he was locked in the attic? Or stayed there overnight. He learned that his fears are in his head and he needn’t fear his imagination.
I read it before 1980, so it would be at least that old, but not much older.
It isn’t long, or large. It might even be a short story, but I’ve not been able to find one by that title that fits the story either.
The cover reminded me of Where the Sidewalk Ends in style of drawing.

344N: Undercover Magical Woman and Her Moody Cat (Series) (Solved!)

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It's a series about a young woman who was born into a powerful magical prophecy & a secret society was to murder her at her birth, but she was taken & given to a rich man in a different magical ability/ house/ guild who raised her to believe that she was weak in magical power, so she became a stiletto-wearing, marriage minded socialite instead. She just graduated from the academy(?), & her dream job/ life ambition is to be the magical administration building's reception hall's decorator so she can meet & marry a powerful man with the right status from an appropriate guild/family.  However, her secret boyfriend/ leader of the magical world/ head of the most powerful guild (whom she’s known & flirted with forever because of her high-status parents) gives the job to her bff (whom he's dating on the side & plans to marry because she's more magically suitable), & forces her to join a rough & dangerous monster/ bad guy/ naughty troll/ misbehaving goblin- hunting task force which is lead by the brother she didn't know her boyfriend had. So she does, in her stilettos, on her own terms, & with her funny & excessively pampered cat.


I think it's 3 books.


First one they end up undercover at a hotel, & the girl works with the big hunky brother guy (who is secretly not awesome, who likes to hook up with & wreck the women on his team, I think his last team hook up was another guy on the team’s fiancée & she died... and now that guy’s not on the team), a funny, charming guy who spends more time in the bathroom & on his hair than she does, who we find out in book 2 is pure awesome, & a huge & burly animal mage guy who soothes her moody cat. She & the brother work while while the 2 funny teammates chase pretty girls at the pool in their downtime.


I think she makes herself & the brother guy disappear at the pool at one point while they amp the volume on two bad guys’ conversation.

There may have been a potty-mouthed goblin issue in book 1 or maybe 3?

2nd book she & the awesome hair guy go undercover as a married couple to a haunted, murder Inn, where the cook/maid? Is a weather mage who kills off the guests & maybe the owner too.

I read these within the last 1-3 years, I believe. It’s all starting to blur together, & I can’t remember book 3 which is why it popped up in my literary Rolodex so I can now read it again! It was hysterical & I loved it & cant remember everything anymore!!! Huzzah for the rereads!  But I can’t remember the title or cover either so I can’t find it.

340X: Man Befriends Ghost At Haunted House

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I am looking for a picture book that I enjoyed when I was a child in the late 70s. It was hardbound and told the story of a man who had a long-nosed coupe and inherits/comes into a mansion and after a foggy drive there and inhabiting it discovers it is haunted. He discovers a secret tunnel underground (under a lake?) and ultimately makes friends with the ghost and I believe is led to a stash of treasure. I loved this story as I scared easily but was fascinated with ghosts, and in recollecting it reminded me slightly of Edward Gorey’s work. I think he might have been a bit Sherlockesque with a coat, hat and pipe. Had a very 60s/70s style and sensibility in the illustration. Would love to have a copy. Thank you for your sleuthing!