Misadventures in Ghosthunting
by Melissa Yue
Source: Paperback/library
Published: Aug 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Length: 360 pages

Genre: Supernatural
Target Age: Upper middle grade (suitable for 10+)
Representation: Characters are Chinese Canadian

• I haven’t seen a lot of info about this book, so I’m going to drop some jacket copy here for context:
  • “Emma Wong is struggling to tell her parents about a lot of things. Getting a D on her math test, for one. Seeing ghosts, for another. When a mysterious figure sets Emma’s family altar on fire, that’s one more secret to add to her list, which is growing perilously long. At the top of the list is the spectral ghosthunter named Henry, who has an attitude problem and a special loathing for Emma. […] And then there’s Chinese calligraphy—the magical kind. In the hands of a skilled ghosthunter, words and intention transform into magical protections. What’s more, her grandma is an exorcist with a secret of her own. A secret that is haunting the Wongs from the Underworld.”
• Misadventures in Ghosthunting feels plotted and stylized like a YA novel with the actual content and length feeling more like MG. There’s a lot going on but there are some quieter periods between the action. The characters read on the older end of MG protagonists, being in ninth grade. The challenges they deal with and the average length of the story feel MG. I struggled whether to call it MG or YA after reading it. As I originally shelved the book as MG, I’m sticking with that… I checked it out from the YA section of my library, while Chapters recommends it for 9-12. Definitely a title with crossover appeal!
• The calligraphy conceit played a lesser role than I expected. Still, it was neat seing how it works with the Chinese ghosts and underworld.
• Some of the supporting characters stood out to me. Let’s go Grandma!! And best friend as [redacted to avoid spoilers] is a fresh trope.
• Boonus points for the Canadian setting of Victoria, British Columbia.
• 💭 The Bottom Line: A promising debut, check out Misadventures in Ghosthunting for a ghost story built on a strong foundation of family history with a healthy dose of action.

It Came from the Trees
by Ally Russell
Source: Hardcover/library
Published: July 2024
Publisher: Delacorte Press (PRH)
Length: 227 pages

Genre: Paranormal horror
Target Age: Middle grade (suitable for 9+)
Representation: Main character is Black

• It Came from the Trees is a punchy and quick paced MG horror that follows Jenna as she joins a Girl Guides-esque group to search for her bff Reese, who was abducted by something seemingly paranormal out of a tent she and Jenna shared.
• That opening abduction scene had my heart rate up! Thankfully, the story calms down for a little bit after that so I was able to recover… The descriptive writing especially shines in the discussions and observations of cryptids. I’m glad I didn’t read this in the summer when I was tenting alone lol even if I was in campgrounds with plenty of other families around.
• I noticed some marketing for this books states “Perfect for fans of Daka Hermon and Claribel A. Ortega”. I would say it has more in common with Hermon than Ortega.
• I’m glad to see a MG book about a Black girl with a passion for nature (and a historical family relationship with it as well – her grandfather was a park ranger and he has some important insights to share).
• While the story focuses primarily on scares and mystery, it does gently touch on a couple more serious realistic topics, such as PTSD and microagressions, though I wouldn’t say the story is about either of those things.
  • There are some descriptors of what a kid might realistically go through after experiencing their bff’s supernatural abduction:
    • This was the first time she had been semi-alone in the wilderness since that day, and she she hadn’t been prepared for her heart to gallop and thump in her chest. (pg 90)
  • Jenna also has to deal with micro (and some not so micro!!) agressions from the white troop leader and white cops who are fixated on the idea that Reese simply ran away.
• 💭 The Bottom Line: Likely to be a hit with readers of creepy books, It Came from the Trees stands out for its camper protagonist, woodsy setting, and cryptid focus.

Is there a supernatural creature that’s your favourite to read about?
(Would you rather face down Bigfoot or hunt angry ghosts?!)