SPIRIT HUNTERS, by Ellen Oh

The story: When Harper's family moves into a creepy old house, it doesn't take long for her to hear that it's "haunted". But what's worse is that it also doesn't take long for her little brother to meet an imaginary friend who turns out to be a ghost--and not a nice ghost, either. Now it's up to Harper to channel her inherited spirit hunting powers to try to solve the mystery of the house--and maybe, at the same time, to solve an even bigger mystery about herself...before Billy's ghost takes over Michael's life permanently.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse G; Magic & the occult PG-13; GLBT content G; adult themes (possession by an evil spirit, haunting of houses, other occult standards) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: I'll admit that ghost stories aren't my favorite genre, and things that dip into the occult--particularly the idea of a four-year-old boy being possessed by an evil spirit--make me uncomfortable. However, with that admission, I have to say that this truly creepy story has real ghosts and real conflicts, which will appeal to readers not quite ready for Stephen King. Ellen Oh is an excellent writer (I especially liked her YA fantasy series "Prophecy") and MS kids who are looking for a scary read without any blood, guts, or gore will strike gold here. The main characters are girls, but boys will like this one too.