For the child who loves a good shiver down their spine and wonders about the unexplained, this book explores 'true' accounts of ghosts and haunted places from around the world.
A parent might reach for this book when their curious child, who loves a good spooky tale, starts asking if ghosts are real. This collection of 'true' ghost stories from Usborne presents famous accounts of hauntings from around the world, such as the Tower of London and the ghost ship Mary Celeste. It balances the thrill of scary stories with a dose of history and critical thinking, often including rational explanations alongside the supernatural tales. This makes it a great choice for kids aged 9 to 13 who are ready for something more complex than simple campfire stories. It satisfies their craving for mystery and fear in a safe, contained, and intellectually stimulating way.
The book's central topic is death, as every ghost story originates from a death. The approach is direct but historical and factual rather than emotional. For example, it discusses historical executions or disasters as the context for a haunting, focusing on the mystery of the ghost rather than the grief of the event. The perspective is secular, treating the stories as historical phenomena to be investigated, not as religious or spiritual events. The resolution of each story is deliberately ambiguous, presenting both the supernatural claims and potential logical or scientific explanations, leaving the reader to decide.
Ideal Reader
The ideal reader is a 10 to 12-year-old who is fascinated by the paranormal and has graduated from fictional scary stories to wanting 'the real stuff'. They enjoy mysteries, history, and debating with friends about what is real and what is not. This child is developing their critical thinking skills and loves to feel like an investigator.
Parent Prep
No significant prep is needed; the book can be read cold. The Usborne format makes the content very accessible. A parent might want to be ready to discuss the concept of evidence, hoaxes, and why people are so fascinated by ghost stories. The book itself provides a great platform for these conversations. A parent has heard their child asking, "Are ghosts real?" or has found them searching for spooky videos online. The child is expressing a strong interest in scary things, and the parent wants to channel that curiosity into a book that is both thrilling and educational, rather than just terrifying.
Age Experience
A younger reader (9-10) will likely focus on the spooky elements, enjoying the thrill and the cool illustrations, and will probably take the 'true' stories at face value. An older reader (11-13) will engage more with the historical context and the skeptical aspects. They will be more inclined to analyze the photographic evidence, question the accounts, and enjoy the intellectual puzzle each story presents.
What Makes It Special
Compared to fictional ghost story anthologies, this book's nonfiction, 'case-file' approach makes it stand out. It uses the high-interest topic of ghosts as a vehicle to teach history, geography, and critical thinking. Its classic Usborne design, breaking down complex information with illustrations and text boxes, makes it exceptionally accessible and engaging for reluctant nonfiction readers.
Read plot summary
This book is a collection of short, nonfiction accounts of allegedly real hauntings and paranormal events from various historical periods and locations. Each chapter focuses on a specific case, such as the Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, the ghosts of Anne Boleyn in the Tower of London, the mystery of the Mary Celeste, and the infamous Borley Rectory. Presented in the classic, highly illustrated Usborne style, each story details the historical background and the reported ghostly phenomena, often including photographs, diagrams, and eyewitness accounts.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
In the story of the 'Brown Lady of Raynham Hall', the book includes a famous photograph. Do you think the photo is real proof of a ghost? What other explanations could there be for the image?
2
Many of the ghosts in the book, like Anne Boleyn in the Tower of London, are from a specific time in history. Why do you think stories about certain historical figures' ghosts are told for hundreds of years?
3
Some famous hauntings, like Borley Rectory, were later found to involve hoaxes. Does learning that some ghost stories are fake change how you feel about the other stories in the book?
4
The book often presents a scientific or logical explanation alongside the ghost story. Which type of explanation do you find more interesting, the supernatural one or the scientific one? Why?
5
If you could spend a night in one of the haunted places from this book, which one would you choose? What equipment would you bring to try and find evidence of a ghost?
