Possessions: Unclean Getaway

Possessions: Unclean Getaway (bk. 1) by Ray Fawkes, 2010.

Meet Gurgazon the Unclean, the cuddliest little pit demon ever trapped in the Llewellyn-Vane House for Captured Spirits and Ghostly Curiosities! This pit demon may look just like a cute little 5-year-old girl, but it isn't interested in playing checkers with other ghosts. The Gurgazon is determined to escape! Will the house contain it? Or will the world of peace and friendly bunnies come to an end as the Gurgazon exacts its revenge?

BB: Fabulous, dark, demonic fun! Cute Pit Demon Gurgazon and Polly the Poltergeist had me giggling at the info desk! Great for graduates of Franny K. Stein, Series of Unfortunate..., or other sardonic stuff for tweens.

"Gurgazon is not entertainment! Gurgazon is your DOOM!"

Mwoo-ha-ha-ha!

Suddenly Supernatural: School Spirit by Kimmel

School Spirit (Suddenly Supernatural book 1) by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel. 2009.

Audience: Grades 4-6th; ages 8-13

My Rating: 4.5*s of 5

Summary: Like her mother, a professional medium, 7th grader, Kat, has been able to see dead people since turning thirteen, and although they would prefer to be normal, Kat and her best friend come to terms with their own talents while helping free the spirit of a girl trapped at their middle school.

Comments: This book jumped into my hands off of the "new" shelf and I couldn't put it down! Great storytelling and a surprising depth to the characters and story. Kat is someone you can easily follow through a book series. The supernatural elements felt believable and even had a few scary moments that serve as a teaser to continue the series. A great recommendation for younger fantasy/horror readers. I can't wait to read more in the series.

Awards:

Read-alikes: Savvy by Law, Allie Finkle series by Cabot (sans the supernatural, of course)

The Graveyard Book (audio)

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. 2008.
Audience: 5th or 6th Grade and up; 10 and up
My Rating: 3.5*s of 5
Summary: The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly creatures.

Comments: I first picked up this book right after it's release in Sept. of 2008 being a big Gaiman fan and eager to read his newest. About the time I got to the ghoul scene, I lost interest and put it down. Now, since Gaiman himself narrates, I made it through the entire audio book much more easily (though I still found the ghoul scene boring and somewhat pointless). This is not my favorite of his books (I much preferred Anansi Boys) and is often too reminiscent of Coraline. However, it carries Gaiman's usual charming voice; the "Dance the Macabre" chapter is enchantingly well written. The beginning is quite scary, especially in print with the dark illustrations. The setting and characters are certainly original for a younger, coming of age story and I appreciate the overall message of the value of life as well as the cost of living in fear.
Awards: Newbery Medal winner, 2009!
Read-alikes: Coraline