Grim and Ghostly Stories: A Haunted Canada Book

Alison Mews is co-ordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

In these nine original ghost stories, young readers will find
traditional apparitions along with more techno-savvy spirits who
communicate through the Internet or play Tetris on a Game Boy. Newly
dead ghosts seeking to avenge their deaths, long dead ones searching for
a final rest, and helpful ones leading people from harm—as well as the
ghost of a well-loved pet giving a bully his comeuppance—populate
these stories. A unique tale focuses on a little girl who finds the
house of her dreams: it is not until she joins other ghostly children
that we realize she herself is dead.

There is only one truly grim tale in the collection. A malicious
phantom attempts to claim a young boy, but luckily his father foils the
attempt and then reveals the males in his family are haunted as a result
of a long-standing feud.

These tame tales of good deeds rewarded and evil avenged each have a
sketched illustration that adds some suspense or serves to increase
comprehension. The stories have been revised from a 1993 book, Ghosts
and Other Scary Stories, and is a follow-up to another Haunted Canada
book—Strange and Spooky Stories (2005).

Containing easy but effective language, Grim and Ghostly Stories is
recommended.