DOLL BONES, by Holly Black

The story: Zach, Poppy and Alice have been playing together for years, but things have suddenly gotten weird between them. When Zach's dad throws his action figures away, Zach decides he's done playing imaginary games with girls--but then the girls come up with one last adventure, and Zach gets pulled in. Little do they know that the ghost in Poppy's story is a real one, and that their final escapade will land them in the deepest trouble of their lives.

June Cleaver’s ratings: Language G; Nudity G; Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Substance Abuse G; Magic & the Occult PG-13; GLBT Content G; Adult Themes PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: If you've read anything by Holly Black, you'll know she's a seasoned spinner of a creepy tale. I would think the constraints of writing for the 5th-8th audience would make that harder, but she pulls it off expertly. There are creepy foreshadowings from the get-go, but nothing so horrifying that it would give anyone but the most timid kid bad dreams. I liked this one a lot!