“They don’t write about ghosts in the paper. Not even The Daily Disaster.” — Sally


Yes, the official name of Springville/Spooksville’s newspaper is The Daily Disaster! This is a fun series for the younger kids from the pen of Christopher Pike. The Howling Ghost is the second in the series, picking up on the heels of the charming inaugural entry, The Secret Path. Adam had just moved to Springville in the first book, where he met Sally and Watch. They quickly became his friends. Twelve-year-old Adam wasn’t certain initially what to make of all those wild stories about the town. Springville has been nicknamed Spooksville by the children because of all the weird occurrences, and the way kids just seem to vanish. By the end of his first big adventure, Adam knows he’s not living in a normal place. That tone carries forward into the second entry:

“Adam was amazed at how large the obituary section was for such a small town. In each issue it took up half the paper. Sally was right about one thing: not everyone stayed for long in Spooksville. The cause of death was often listed as simply disappeared.”

Just as in the first book, Pike injects enough humor and charm into The Howling Ghost to offset any real scares. Though there is a ghost and some danger, it really never gets too dark for the 8-12 year old age group at which it’s aimed. In fact, this series from the 1990s may seem innocent after Harry Potter, and may appeal more to the 8-10 age range rather than 8-12 that’s suggested.

Cindy Makey loses her younger brother Neil to a howling ghost at Spooksville’s lighthouse. He is never found, so presumed to be just another kid who disappeared. Sally gets the ball rolling for the trio of friends to investigate, so that Neil doesn’t become just another statistic. This proves problematic, however, as Cindy MaKay is very sweet, and takes a shine to Adam — which might be returned. The only caveat to this story is in fact, that dynamic, with the very jealous Sally coming off petulant and snarky, even uncaring once she realizes the possibility of Adam liking Cindy. She was precocious and likable in the first book, but in this one the reader gets irritated with her.

Things take a serious turn when after hooking up with Cindy, who is ecstatic that someone believes her story about a ghost snatching her brother, a visit is made to the deserted lighthouse. Cindy almost falls to her death, but Adam saves her. Scramming out of there when they hear the howling ghost, the kids decide to do some research. This leads to some fun stuff involving the Spooksville librarian, Mr. Spiney. His obsession with kids building strong bones knows no bounds!

What the kids discover at the library about a wrecked ship and a lighthouse keeper and her young son, will become important when they return to the lighthouse, but in what way I can’t reveal. There is some action and some derring-do by all involved. Adam even gets his first kiss — albeit on the cheek, which leaves Sally steaming. Before that happens, there is some underwater danger, and some more spookiness at the lighthouse. Will Cindy become a bigger part of the series, sticking around to eat donuts with the trio in the next book, The Haunted Cave? I’ll have to see. Finding out should be fun in this terrific series for younger kids. ( )

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Cindy Makey and her five year-old brother are hanging around the jetty near the abandoned lighthouse, when suddenly the waves form into giant hands and snatch the little boy, who disappears. While the police don't believe Cindy's story and assume the boy drowned, this is Spooksville and Sally, Adam and Watch know that the boy may very well have been grabbed by a ghost. A visit to the town library, run by ghoulish Mr. Spivey, who has an obsession with human bones, uncovers the story of another missing five year-old from 30 years before. ( )