 | Midnight Reynolds and the spectral transformer (Midnight Reynolds) Author: Holt, Catherine | |
| Price: $8.19 | ||
Summary:
When twelve year-old misfit Midnight Reynolds takes a job helping out eccentric Miss Appleby in the mansion down the street, she discovers an ability to battle ghosts.
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 07/01/2017 Gr 4–6—Midnight Reynolds has enough on her plate. Burdened with an unusual name and a Halloween birthday, the 12-year-old is also juggling a new home and school, high-maintenance friends, and her mother's impending marriage to Phil, the oh-so-embarrassing Viking reenactor. Midnight has no time to deal with the undead. But keeping up with her popular friends is expensive, so she is delighted when her neighbor, old Mrs. Appleby, offers her a job—until she discovers Mrs. Appleby expects her to hunt ghosts. She informs the dismayed girl that individuals born at midnight on Halloween possess the unique ability to see "spectral energy," or ghosts. Mrs. Appleby wants Midnight to keep their town clear of ghosts while she is incapacitated with a broken ankle. Initially reluctant, Midnight eventually agrees, learning to use the spectral transformer to capture the evil spirits. The demands of her new responsibility soon affect her social life, and she sees her chance at popularity slipping away. Luckily, classmate Tabitha (who loves librarians, research, and archives) turns out to be a loyal friend and helps Midnight uncover the spooky truth. Midnight is a likable character, filled with anxiety, determination, and initiative. Her internal struggle between wanting to be popular and remaining true to herself is well developed and adds depth to the gently suspenseful ghost-busting plot. Midnight eventually realizes that she has people in her life she can truly count on, and the ending promises future adventures. VERDICT A great choice for young readers who clamor for slightly scary books.—Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor School District, Lancaster, PA - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 08/01/2017 New to West Virginia, 12-year-old Midnight is grateful to have a couple of popular friends, and she knows enough to keep her distance from Tabitha, a classmate described as “antisocial.” Since Midnight’s birthday, she’s occasionally noticed flickering lights and a buzzing noise that no one seems to perceive, no one except Miss Appleby, a middle-aged neighbor. Explaining that people born at midnight on Halloween (as they both were) can sense “spectral energy,” she hires Midnight as her assistant ghost-hunter. The money is good, but something is amiss, and the danger is mounting. When Tabitha offers to help, Midnight gratefully accepts. This chapter book may not have a strong sense of place, but it offers a fast-paced ride with a few surprises. Just when readers are lulled into thinking that they understand what’s happening, they may be blindsided by a plot twist or two that they just didn’t see coming. The first book of a planned series by Holt, who also writes YA fiction under the name Amanda Ashby. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.
