The Haunted House Next Door

This amusing first book in the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series is narrated by Andres Miedoso (the book is written pseudonymously), a nervous “normal-boring” Latino boy who moves to a new town and befriends his neighbor Desmond. Desmond runs a ghost-hunting business out of his garage, and it’s a good thing: Andres’s house turns out to be haunted, and he’ll need Desmond’s help to deal with the mysterious noises, floating furniture, and other instances of paranormal activity, including a silverware creature that manifests in the kitchen and sends Andres fleeing in terror. The large font, ample b&w illustrations, short chapters, and funny-spooky story line should make this a hit with scaredy-cats and brave readers alike. Final art not seen by PW. Simultaneously available: Ghosts Don’t Ride Bikes, Do They? Ages 5–9. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates. (Dec.)