School Spirits

Patrick never wanted to move to Waskasoo City. He has no friends there; his dad is going to be the school principal, and some bullies have decided to welcome him in their own special way. And then there's the school itself. Craven Hill School resembles a foreboding old castle, with its looming towers, long dark staircases, and forbidding bell tower. Late one night, while waiting for his father to finish work, Patrick finds himself drawn down the school's dark hallway and up its gloomy stairs. There he see a young boy materialize before him and then disappear into thin air. That's just the beginning of Patrick's troubles because the ghost keeps appearing in the most unlikely places. Though the wraith doesn't speak, he seems to be demanding Patrick's help with something--only Patrick can't seem to understand what that something is. Increasingly angry and impatient, the spirit lashes out as he grows more and more powerful. Desperate to find out what is wanted of him, Patrick begins to investigate. He discovers that nearly forty years before, a young boy disappeared forever from Craven Hill. Like Patrick, he was new to the school and his father was the principal . . .

About the Author

I taught children's literature at Brigham Young University for many years and have written several books about literature for young readers, including The Story of Ourselves: Teaching History Through Children's Literature and Children's Literature, Briefly. Twice I helped choose the Newbery Medal winner, the most prestigious of children's book awards. My wife, Glenna, and I live in Orem, Utah. We have four grown children and nine grandchildren. We love to travel the world when we can and, in the last few years, have been to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Japan, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, France, and England. I have written picture books, informational books, and novels for young readers of different ages. Many of my books are about historical topics, such as The Children of Topaz, a photo-essay about the Japanese-American internment camp located in Utah during World War II. Other examples include the picture book, Mailing May (illustrated by the wonderful Ted Rand), which is the amazing true story of a five-year-old girl in Idaho who was mailed by parcel post to her grandmother in 1914 (an ALA Notable Book), and the novel, Brothers in Valor, based on the true story of three German teens who resisted Hitler during WWII (A Junior Library Guild Selection). I also have written fantasy, such as my ghost story, School Spirits, and my "Arabian Nights" Moon Duet (Wishing Moon and Moon Without Magic). Wishing Moon received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and won the Utah Book Award. Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot" is another of my history titles. It is a photo-essay about American pilot who dropped candy-laden parachutes to children during Berlin Airlift. Candy Bomber received a starred review from Booklist, won an Orbis Pictus Honor Book Award and the Beehive Book Award, and appeared on many best books lists. Some of my other books include the picture books Chinook!, The Joke's on George, Halloween Pie, and Beauty and the Beastly Children, as well as The Prydain Companion, a guide to Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles. For further biographical information see the following sources: Something About the Author, volume 103. Edited by Alan Hedblad. The Gale Group, 1999, pp. 168-173. The Eighth Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators. Edited by Connie Rockman. H.W. Wilson, 2000, pp. 529-533. Something About the Author, volume 157. The Gale Group, 2005, pp. 247-252.

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