The Smoky Corridor

Gr 5—8—This third entry in the series continues the adventures of Zach Jennings, who has the uncanny ability to see and talk with ghosts. His entrance into sixth grade is complicated by the brain-eating zombie that sleeps under the school guarding a Confederate treasure trove for a voodoo-practicing ghost waiting to take over the body of an unsuspecting child. With a maze of tunnels under it, a cemetery behind it, and guardian ghosts wandering through it, this middle school is far worse than most. Murders are committed in the quest for the treasure, but the creepiness tends to be so over-the-top, and there is so much humor in the book, that the evil is mitigated. Zach is a likable character, resigned to his ghost-seeing abilities and often trying to connect with his inner superhero. He's also nervous about the new school, realistic about his status there, and wants to make friends and avoid the school bully. With its short chapters, Smoky Corridor might appeal to some reluctant readers, but there are a lot of characters, including ghosts, to keep track of, and the plot is full of twists and turns that could be confusing. Grabenstein is a riveting storyteller; most kids won't be able to put this book down. Its appeal will be wide, as it is a mystery, a thriller, a ghost story, a school story, an action adventure, and a humorous book. It can stand alone, although reading the earlier titles does provide some pertinent background information.—Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME