The Whispering House

Gr 5–9—The mystery cuts close to home for accidental detective Hannah Price, 14, who was first featured in The Theft & the Miracle (HarperCollins, 2007). Hannah and her parents have to move when their house shows signs of collapse. It doesn't take long before she realizes that their new home is haunted by the ghost of a young girl who may have been killed by a member of her family. It also appears as if the house is beginning to revert to its former state. As in the first book, Hannah relies on her artistic ability, which has some supernatural overtones, and on her friend Sam to help her solve the mystery. The novel is tightly plotted from the opening chapter, which is an anxiety-producing retelling of "Hansel and Gretel," to the surprising revelation of the mystery's solution. Hannah is a welcome new type of detective in middle grade fiction; she is not eager to have this mystery to investigate but she approaches the situation with determination and courage. Readers who enjoy Jennifer Allison's "Gilda Joyce" books (Dutton) may enjoy Hannah Price as well.—Kathleen Meulen Ellison, Sakai Intermediate School, Bainbridge Island, WA