Ghost Town

October 1, 2000
Gr 3-7-Each of these seven mildly spooky stories takes place in a real ghost town. Forced to visit Tombstone, AZ, with his family, a boy encounters a ghost who tells him the real story of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. A girl in Shakespeare, NM, helps a forlorn spirit rest in peace. Another girl is nearly lured away by a handsome ghost, until she sees his true skeletal features. Each tale is followed by a couple of pages of factual narrative about these towns, which include resources for more information. Nixon also mixes historical facts into the stories themselves, at times using parent lectures to their unenthusiastic kids to convey background material. The young protagonists are not particularly memorable, but the story premises are varied enough to make an entertaining collection. The heroes either learn a valuable lesson from their ghostly experiences or interact with the spirits to help them in some way. Only the last story, "Trade-off," has more palpable results, as a ghost takes the place of a spoiled child and doesn't look back. Though the tales are generally too tame to truly thrill readers, the ghost-town settings give the book a unifying and intriguing element that may draw readers looking for "scary, but not too scary" stories.-Steven Engelfried, Deschutes County Library, Bend, OR

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2000
Gr. 4-6. Unlike, "Nancy's Story, "below, Nixon gives us a double treat here: first, readers can enjoy seven tantalizing, otherworldly tales. Then they can read about the actual towns that inspired these works of fiction. A mixed bag of spirits including gunfighters, golddiggers, a child, and a dog make up some of the Wild West characters encountered by contemporary protagonists. At the end of each yarn, fact and lore are presented about each town, explaining how these once bustling burgs came to be just curiosities on the map. To round out the information Nixon offers directions to the ghost towns, suggested reading, and appropriate Web sites. Readers will find themselves itching to add some of these deserted towns to their next vacation trip out West. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2000
\deflang1033\pard\plain\f0\fs24 Gr. 4-7. Combining history and mystery, this somewhat uneven collection, set in real American ghost towns, recalls classic campfire tales. In "Payback," eighth-grader Alan finds protection from school bullies in a Cerberus-like ghost dog. "The Magic Eye" has 14-year-old Ashley discovering that a romantic young man isn't what he seems. In "Trade-Off," a disgruntled human boy provides unexpected opportunity for a 13-year-old ghost to come back to life. Town facts, travel directions, and resources follow stories, and an afterword offers practical advice for exploring ghost towns. The simple yet descriptive prose and modern protagonists entertain, but the repeated lesson about appreciating history makes the stories predictable. Even so, there's a ready audience for this. Give it to Nixon fans and readers who like spooky stories or books about Wild West days. It may spark interest in a fascinating, if often violent aspect of history. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2001
"Trade-off," a story of a young Texas ghost from the nineteenth century who changes places with a modern boy, is the collection's final, chilling entry. Unfortunately, the preceding tales--all set in real western ghost towns and detailing interactions between contemporary kids and historical specters--are pedestrian in both content and writing quality. Each concludes with factual information about the ghost town.

(Copyright 2001 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)