STRANGE STAR, by Emma Carroll

The story: Mary Shelley is stuck for a ghost story, but when a girl appears on the doorstep, half-dead with fear and exhaustion, and looking like the subject of an evil experiment, Mary and her friends are all ears as Lizzie tells her tale--a story of lightning strikes, evil experiments, and the possibility of bringing someone back from the dead. Care to meet Dr. Francesca Stine, anyone?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language G; Violence PG; Sexual content G; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult PG; GLBT content G; adult themes (science gone wrong, death of a parent) PG; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: In my experience, MS readers are generally uninterested in historical fiction, and even Mary Shelley, the author of "Frankenstein", isn't going to make them bite. However, if you have a MS girl who's willing to tackle 1816 England and likes a tinge of creepiness to go with the atmosphere, this is a great choice.