Jules’s parents love the old abandoned house that they now call their family home. But Jules feels frightened there and can’t shake off a sense of foreboding. When she sees a pale face in an upstairs window, she can’t stop wondering about the eerie presence on the top floor—in a room with a locked door. Could it be someone who lived in the house long before her own family moved in?
Soon, Jules’ fear is replaced by fascination, and she feels determined to make contact with the mysterious figure and help unlock the door. Past and present intersect, as she and her ghostly friend discover—and change—the fate of the family who lived in the house all those many years ago.
Ghost-story master Mary Downing Hahn unrolls the suspenseful, chilling yarn of a girl imprisoned for more than a century, the terrifying events that put her there, and a friendship that crosses the boundary between the present and the past.
BL 4.3
5 Points
Soon, Jules’ fear is replaced by fascination, and she feels determined to make contact with the mysterious figure and help unlock the door. Past and present intersect, as she and her ghostly friend discover—and change—the fate of the family who lived in the house all those many years ago.
Ghost-story master Mary Downing Hahn unrolls the suspenseful, chilling yarn of a girl imprisoned for more than a century, the terrifying events that put her there, and a friendship that crosses the boundary between the present and the past.
BL 4.3
5 Points
Activity 1:
Using rich, descriptive words makes writing more visual and interesting to the reader. List four synonyms for each word on this sheet. Note that your synonyms will have slightly different meanings, which is important. Choose just the right word when writing to convey your intent and guide your reader
Using rich, descriptive words makes writing more visual and interesting to the reader. List four synonyms for each word on this sheet. Note that your synonyms will have slightly different meanings, which is important. Choose just the right word when writing to convey your intent and guide your reader
Activity 2:
One of the most important elements of any ghost story is its setting. Close your eyes and picture a scary place—a graveyard at midnight, a dusty attic filled with relics, a haunted ship on the high seas, a mysterious cave on a lonely stretch of beach. Use your five senses and imagine what you see, smell, hear, taste, and touch in that scary place. Notice the details in your mind’s eye. Is there ivy growing up the side of the roof ? Does the bare branch of a tree scrape against the window when the wind blows? Write a detailed description of that scary place. Remember to use complete sentences and choose your words carefully to convey every nuance of the setting to your reader.
Worksheet
One of the most important elements of any ghost story is its setting. Close your eyes and picture a scary place—a graveyard at midnight, a dusty attic filled with relics, a haunted ship on the high seas, a mysterious cave on a lonely stretch of beach. Use your five senses and imagine what you see, smell, hear, taste, and touch in that scary place. Notice the details in your mind’s eye. Is there ivy growing up the side of the roof ? Does the bare branch of a tree scrape against the window when the wind blows? Write a detailed description of that scary place. Remember to use complete sentences and choose your words carefully to convey every nuance of the setting to your reader.
Worksheet
Activity 3:
Research a local "Ghost" story. Try find out why it started and if there is any truth to it.
Research a local "Ghost" story. Try find out why it started and if there is any truth to it.