Dead Air

September 7, 2015
In this fast-paced first book of the Kat Sinclair Files series, Schusterman (the I Heart Band series) layers on the intrigue. Thirteen-year-old Kat is skeptical of all things paranormal and wary about accompanying her father from Ohio to Europe, where he is starting a new job as host of a TV show chronicling the work of ghost hunters. Kat's grandmother, a retired horror movie actress, suggests that the teen begin a blog following the ghost hunters' expeditions. Their adventures involve eerie warnings on laptops and phones, two filming sites with no shortage of ghosts, and an alleged curse plaguing the show's hosts. Balancing the scariness are some poignant emotional threads concerning Kat's confused feelings about her mother's pending remarriage, her own haunting by the apparition of the girl she believes her mother wants her to be, and her friendship with a ghost hunter's nephew who's battling his own metaphorical demons. Blog posts, emails, and posts in the show's online fan forum mix up the storytelling while offering additional insight into this dynamic heroine. Ages 8â12. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency.

June 15, 2015
Thirteen-year-old Kat doesn't believe in ghosts, but she might change her mind as she accompanies her dad while he films a TV show on the paranormal. Her mother moved out a while ago, and Kat hasn't been able to forgive her. Kat's a skeptic about ghosts, but she's excited that her dad has become the new host of Passport to Paranormal, which films in Europe. However, the show has low ratings, and Kat worries that her dad's gig may be a short one. Meanwhile, she becomes involved with an online fan forum, then starts a blog that becomes a hit. As events progress, Kat begins to experience some major, possibly paranormal activity. When one of the show's staff shows signs of possession, Kat grows suspicious that real ghosts might be at work but also worries that someone behind the scenes might be sabotaging the show. Can Kat solve the mystery even after her dad bans her from the set for interfering and spoiling the filming? Schusterman keeps the narrative light and completely accessible for middle school readers. She also gives Kat another kind of haunting experience: the Thing, a specter that might not be a ghost but that haunts Kat on a daily basis. It's a nice touch that brings a bit of depth to a story that otherwise would merely be a suspense romp. A promising series opener for fans of the paranormal. (Suspense. 10-13)

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August 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-Fourteen-year-old Kat Sinclair knows that there are no ghosts, not really...right? Her father has a new assignment as a guest host on a ghost-hunting TV show. The action takes place in Rotterdam and Brussels, where pirates once kidnapped men and sold them into slavery, where 94 hardened criminals planned an escape that went terribly wrong. While on set, Kat witnesses an actress being possessed by an ancient ghost. The young sleuth starts a blog about the background stories from these nefarious places and also includes her hunches as to why guest hosts do not last very long on this job. Her father may be the one to be terminated, perhaps mortally, due to the malevolence of the spirits from the past as well as the vitriol from the current players. VERDICT An exciting romp that mixes modern issues with paranormal events, this book will appeal to readers who enjoy fast-paced, eerie mysteries.-Lillian Hecker, Town of Pelham Public Library, NY

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