Dead Air

In this fast-paced first book of the Kat Sinclair Files series, Schusterman (the I Heart Band series) layers on the intrigue. Thirteen-year-old Kat is skeptical of all things paranormal and wary about accompanying her father from Ohio to Europe, where he is starting a new job as host of a TV show chronicling the work of ghost hunters. Kat's grandmother, a retired horror movie actress, suggests that the teen begin a blog following the ghost hunters' expeditions. Their adventures involve eerie warnings on laptops and phones, two filming sites with no shortage of ghosts, and an alleged curse plaguing the show's hosts. Balancing the scariness are some poignant emotional threads concerning Kat's confused feelings about her mother's pending remarriage, her own haunting by the apparition of the girl she believes her mother wants her to be, and her friendship with a ghost hunter's nephew who's battling his own metaphorical demons. Blog posts, emails, and posts in the show's online fan forum mix up the storytelling while offering additional insight into this dynamic heroine. Ages 8%E2%80%9312. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency. (Sept.)