Dian Curtis Regan

I really enjoy this cute middle-grade mystery series. I read a lot of heavy, dark adult thriller novels, and sometimes between books I just need something lighter, refreshing, kinder to clear my head. I turn to middle-grade books often as palate cleansers. Fun reads....entertaining and a bit of sunshine for a brain a bit weighed down by adult themes. This series is one of my favorites!

Beka and Robbie are twins. But they are a bit different. They've both been dead for 50 years. In 1942, they accidentally drowned. They still live in their old house near Kickingbird Lake, but the house is part of a vacation resort now. The twins get to "meet'' all sorts of people who stay in their former house, and they invisibly help solve little mysteries that pop up. Add in their ghost St. Bernard, Thatch, to the mix and it's just incredi-cute.

The Haunted Campground Mystery is the 6th book in the series. This time a group of Mountain Adventure Club girls (sort of like Girl Scouts) are staying in the house. They are going on an overnight camping trip. One of the girls seems to sense the ghosts are there, and the group quickly starts to get spooked. The twins come along on the camping trip. Robbie wants to give them a bit of a scare....but just for fun. Beka wishes she could be a Mountain Adventure Club member like she used to be when she was alive. Little do they realize that the girls, and the ghosts, are in for a bit of a surprise on this trip!

This is a fun, entertaining and slightly spooky read. :) Everything is definitely age-appropriate. This would be fun to read out loud to kids on a trip, or as reading on a car ride or camping trip.

There are 8 books in total in this series by Dian Curtis Regan. I will be sad when I reach the end! Luckily the author has written several other similar children's books including Monster of the Week and Jilly's Ghost.… (mais)

Robbie and Rebekah Zuffel are a bit different than the others who live at Kickingbird Lake. The twins have been dead for more than 50 years. In 1942, they drowned in the lake. Since then, they live in the house that used to belong to their family all those years ago. It's part of a lake resort now. So lots of different familes come and stay for awhile. That suits the kids (and their ghost dog, Thatch) just fine. They get to see new people, learn new things about being ghosts, and solve some mysteries.

The Mystery of the Disappearing Dogs is the 5th book in the Ghost Twins series. A honeymooning couple rents their house for the week, bringing along their St Bernard dog, Maddie. Thatch is also a St. Bernard, so the twins' dog enjoys the visiting pooch. The dog seems to be able to see Thatch, which is a new experience for the twins and the ghost dog. Usually nobody can see them! Unfortunately, someone is stealing dogs. A little girl, Alix, has lost one of her dogs. And then Maddie disappears too! The twins and Thatch know they have to help find the two dogs and discover who stole them!

This was a cute, entertaining story. I like this series. The twins always discover new rules about being ghosts, usually because Thatch does something they didn't realize ghosts could do. :) The twins always find ways to help people, even though most of the time people can't see or hear them. The stories are always entertaining and fun to read. The content is definitely middle-grade appropriate. As an adult, I enjoy these stories, too. Sometimes I just want something light, cute and fun to read. This series fits that perfectly!

Dian Curtis Regan has written many books for kids including The World According to Kaley and Monster of the Month Club. I definitely plan to read more books by her....I'm really enjoying the Ghost Twins series!… (mais)

The Missing Moose Mystery is the fourth Ghost Twins book. The twins accidentally drowned in Kickingbird Lake near their home in the 1940's. As ghosts, they still live in their former home, even though the lake area has been turned into a tourist resort. Guests that stay in the house can't see them, but the twins follow the people that stay in their house and investigate mysteries, along with their ghost dog, Thatch.

This series is a cute, enjoyable middle-grade series. This time around, an artist and her grand-daughter are staying in Beka and Robbie's house. Nell Makanda is having health problems and has partially lost her sight. She has come to the lake to recover. Robbie is more interested in her grand-daughter, Jamie. Even ghost boys know a pretty girl when they see one. :) Turns out there is a mystery to solve as well.....a moose statue from town has been missing for 40 years. When clues start appearing in Nell's paintings, the ghost twins are on the case!

I like this series. The mysteries are always different as are the guests staying in Beka and Robbie's house. Each book also teaches the twins a little bit more about being a ghost. There are certain rules and restrictions on what they can and can't do as spirits. But each time they interact with the living, they learn a little bit more about how to make their presence felt or ways they can manipulate the things around them.

The Missing Moose Mystery was entertaining and suspenseful, with the usual added humor and fun. Another great book in this series for kids. Dian Curtis Regan has written many children's books for middle-grade and younger kids including The Snow Blew Inn and Monster of the Month Club.

There are 8 books in the Ghost Twins series, published in the mid 1990's.… (mais)