All the Lovely Bad Ones: A Ghost Story Graphic Novel

Gr 3-5–Brother and sister Travis and Corey do not believe in ghosts, but they do believe in mischief, so hearing that their grandmother’s Vermont inn is rumored to be haunted is summer vacation gold. They plan to dress up and make noise, hoping to drum up business when word gets out that the ghosts have returned. What they did not plan on is the awakening of the actual ghosts that haunt the property. Faced with a group of “lovely bad ones”—mischievous young ghosts of boys who died under terrible circumstances—and the chaos they cause, Corey and Travis must discover who the ghosts are and how to bring them to rest. Peterson does a solid job adapting Hahn’s ghost story in graphic novel format, deftly capturing the creepiest moments with a combination of narration and dialogue. Illustration and lettering introduce the frustrated yet gentle young ghosts, appearing in period clothing and wreathed in blue. The awful ghost of Ms. Ada is delightfully ghastly.