Night of the Soul Stealer

February 1, 2008
Gr 5-8-"I've seen some scary things, but living in a house with witch graves, bound boggarts, and live witches in the cellar didn't make me rest easy." With a move across the county to the damp, dark winter house in Anglezarke, 13-year-old Tom Ward returns for his third adventure, completing his first year as the Spook's apprentice. In this installment, Mr. Gregory (the Spook) and Tom, with the help of Alice, an untrustworthy young witch, try to gain power by raising the ancient god of winter, Golgoth. Along the way, they face a stone-chucker boggart, two lamia witches, and a failed former apprentice dabbling in necromancy. Readers new to the series will get filled in on some of the past adventures, making this volume stand alone, but the growth of the characters of the Spook and Tom's mam will be more appreciated by fans. The straightforward, simple language, reflecting the way that the Spook is teaching Tom to deal with fear and the Dark, along with wide margins and illustrations at the head of each chapter, makes this an excellent choice for reluctant readers. It's head and shoulders above formulaic horror series, and fans of Darren Shan's "Cirque du Freak" (Little, Brown) or kids looking for "scary stories" will not be disappointed."Kelly Vikstrom, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD"

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