Out of the Wild Night

January 29, 2018
Two interrelated problems have raised tensions on Nantucket, a normally serene island off the Massachusetts coast. One is the clash between a chronic shortage of affordable housing and wealthy outsiders buying up rickety homes that once belonged to lobstermen and sea captains. The second is ghosts (including Mary Chase, who narrates despite being dead for a century), who don’t want the homes they’ve haunted for years renovated by rapacious contractors who swap out weather-beaten siding for Viking stoves and marble flooring. Into this conflict enters an ethnically diverse gaggle of local kids who feel (oddly) compelled to stop the renovations with a rash of “accidents” on construction sites. Balliett, a former island resident, writes lovingly about its rich history and unequivocally sides with the preservationists (“Some say Nantucket has the greatest number of pre-1850 houses of any residential community in this country,” notes one character). But many readers may gloss over the housing issues to focus on the shivery exploits of the marauding ghosts and a twisty finale that adds poignancy. Ages 8–12. Agent: Doe Coover, Doe Coover Agency.

December 1, 2017
Grades 3-6 Balliett whisks readers to the shores of Nantucket for a mystery swathed in history and ghosts. Beset by a housing crunch, Nantucket is experiencing a flurry of rehab projects. Yet one contractor, Mr. Nold, is gutting old houses, throwing out perfectly good wood and stirring up the ghosts that have long resided within their walls. Despite sabotaged construction sites, Nantucket's adults are slow to accept that disgruntled spirits are to blame. The island's kids, however, have no such reservations, and they realize that the only way to restore the community's peace is for residents to listen to the ghosts and reconnect with their own pasts. The story's narration is shared by the ghost of Mary W. Chase and a third-person account of the Old North Gang, a group of kids dedicated to stopping Mr. Nold. Though billed as a ghost story, it feels more like a history lesson with a heavy-handed, but reassuring, message of belonging. The island's immigrant population and subsequent bouquet of cultures is frequently spotlighted, emphasizing that strength is born of diverse roots.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)