Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Summary:  Micah is sad about her upcoming move; while it will be nice for her and her mom to have their own home, she will miss her beloved grandfather Poppop.  To escape from packing, she goes on a bike ride and ends up in front of Finch House, an old house that Poppop has repeatedly warned her to stay away from.  To her surprise, a boy her age is outside, and he introduces himself as Theo, part of the family that has recently moved into the house.  Micah finds herself strangely drawn to the house, and when Theo invites her inside, she can’t say no. But before long, the two of them begin to discover some of Finch House’s secrets, including a dark secret from Micah’s family’s past.  Micah soon realizes that she’s trapped in the house until she can break the spell that has traumatized her family for two generations.  208 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  A spooky story featuring ghosts and a haunted house that delivers a powerful message about family secrets and healing the past.  The ending will leave readers wondering what will happen next for Micah.

Cons:  This wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be…the family issues took over some parts of the story and made it less suspenseful.