Scritch Scratch
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4.8 • 10 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
"This is a teeth-chattering, eyes bulging, shuddering-and-shaking, chills-at-the-back-of-your-neck ghost story. I loved it!"—R.L. Stine, author of the Goosebumps series
For fans of Small Spaces and the Goosebumps series by R.L Stine comes a chilling ghost story based on real Chicago history about a malevolent spirit, an unlucky girl, and a haunting mystery that will tie the two together.
Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She's a scientist, which is why she can't think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she's made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There's something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he's gone.
Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad's ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.
Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it's too late.
Pick up Scritch Scratch if you are looking for:
•A book for middle school students, 5th grade to 9th grade
•A story with a strong female protagonist that explores bravery, friendship, and family
•Mystery books for kids 9-12
•Chilling ghost stories and ghost books for kids (perfect for Halloween!)
•Historical mysteries and Chicago history books for kids
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Chicago seventh grader Claire Koster, 12, appreciates the predictability and comfort of science which is why her father, an author obsessed enough with creepy Chicago history to quit his job teaching history and start a ghost tour bus company, is driving her up the wall. Equally aggravating is watching her best friend and fellow science lover, Casley, slowly replace her with new girl Emily Craig, who likes makeup and clothes. But when Claire assists her father on a tour one night, she is startled to discover an unexpected passenger: a pale, dark-eyed little boy, "six, seven tops," who just may be a ghost. Claire must soon acknowledge that not everything can be explained by science; she discovers a scrap of paper reading "396" after boy disappears, and more paranormal occurrences follow. Currie's vivid descriptions of the spirit ("His dark eyes. His dripping clothes and bloodless face") conjure a chilling atmosphere. Engrossing snippets of Chicago history ground the novel, with references to real-life locations, including Hull House and the sunken SS Eastland, "right at the intersection of LaSalle Street and Wacker Drive." A spine-tingling blend of hauntings and history. Ages 10 up.
Customer Reviews
This was actually scary
This book was amazing. It wasn’t like one of those books that says that it’s “scary” when it’s not really scary. This book was ACTUALLY SCARY and sent a chill up my spine. Thanks to the author who wrote this, because I loved this story, and despite its chilling setting and plot, this book is a must-have.