July 2nd 2019 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Westerville Public Library Copy
Barbara Anne becomes friends with pale, sickly looking Henry Davis when he comes to her school, more by accident than by purpose. Her mother always has told her to be nice to new students, and Henry certainly needs someone to be kind to him! He keeps to himself, writes a lot in his notebook, and seems very edgy. Barbara Anne eventually finds out that he has seen a ghost in his new house repeatedly. The ghost is a young boy named Edgar, who asks Henry to play with him, and keeps making circles on the floor for marbles. The two start to investigate, and come across interesting information from local residents as well as the public library, and eventually find out the mystery surrounding Edgar's guest, and are able to bring him some peace.
Strengths: This brought in some interesting information about how the great influenza epidemic of 1918 affected the Seattle area. I liked the friendship between the two children, and the process they used to investigate. The history is fascinating, and I enjoyed reading this.
Weaknesses: I have a Mary Downing Hahn title that is very similar, One for Sorrow, and it doesn't circulate very well.
What I really think: I have a lot of ghost mysteries, but unless the ghosts are actively killing or harassing people (Think Mary: The Summoning) my students prefer murder mysteries. It's an ongoing battle because ghost mysteries are far more common for 11-14 year olds, but I don't think I will purchase this one.
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