FAR, FAR AWAY, by Tom McNeal

The story: For as long as he can remember, Jeremy has had a ghost keeping him company--not a scary ghost, but in fact the ghost of Jacob Grimm: collector of folk tales from long ago, and someone who can at least tell him a story if things get boring. Which they do in Jeremy's small town--at least, until a practical joke leads a killer to look for revenge, and someone starts channeling the witch in Hansel and Gretl. Watch out! If things seem too good to be true, they probably are.

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

Liz's comments: What starts out as a deceptively simple story about a boy and his ghostly companion turns rather dark and gruesome as you learn how fairy tales used to end--not always with "happily ever after"--in fact, sometimes with rat poison and starvation. There is proof, however, that being well-grounded in literary classics can eventually pay off!