SERAFINA AND THE BLACK CLOAK, by Robert Beatty

The story: Serafina lives a secret life in the basement of the fabulous Biltmore mansion, hunting rats and helping her father. She's never been allowed a friend, or even a conversation with one of the "sparkling" people upstairs--but when she witnesses a man in a black cloak murder a young girl deep in her basement territory, and as children keep disappearing from the estate, she knows she has to speak out. Problem is...who will listen to a rat catcher?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG-13; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (murder, black magic) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: Set against the backdrop of the actual Biltmore mansion in North Carolina, this is a pretty darn creepy story featuring black magic and even the unexpected presence of shape-shifters. If you can convince a kid to get over the fact that it's historical fiction part and get into the substance of the book (not always an easy feat) you'll find that fans of scary stories will eat it up. Sadly, the cover makes sure that boys will stay well away--sad, because if they can get past the fact that a girl is the main character, there's plenty to keep them entertained here.