GHOST FOR RENT
By PENNY LOCKWOOD
First it’s separating parents, then moving (out of the city, no less) and now her new home is haunted??? What is eleven year-old Wendy to do? Solve the mystery of the haunting ghosts, of course.
This is the simple basis for “Ghost for Rent.” However, there is more here than first meets the eye. Ms. Lockwood explores the emotions of one child; as Wendy deals with annoyance, hurt, anger, fear, not being believed, to finally being accepted. Emotions we adults tend to forget are very strong in our young. Emotions I can remember running through on a weekly basis with my childhood friends. However, I never lived in a haunted farmhouse. Wish I had.
It is the ghost story that brings Wendy and her teasing brother together. Even when their mother refuses to acknowledge what her own eyes are showing her, Wendy and her brother become more determined to uncover why these spirits are still here.
Why do ghosts haunt? What chains them to their old homes? Sorry, I’m not about to tell you, but the ghosts in “Ghost for Rent” will haunt you in more ways than one.
“Ghost for Rent” entertains on different levels. It is a read that brought me back to my own childhood and what I loved to read at Wendy’s age, a spooky tale with just enough scare without the horror. As an adult it’s a refreshing fright from the more sensual scares that seem to be the norm, today. More importantly, as a mother I can’t wait to share “Ghost for Rent” with my daughter and introduce her to the fun of being scared.
Thank you, Ms. Lockwood; I hope you revisit Wendy and friends.