Oh, Ellen.
SPIRIT HUNTERS
New York : Harper, 2017
IL 5-8, IL 4.7
ISBN 978-0-06-243008-3

(3 booktalks)

Booktalk #2

Something is wrong with Harper’s little brother.  This normally cheerful, active little boy is becoming secretive and angry.  He’s spending too much time in his room, alone…and wait--who is that he’s talking to in there?  Is it “Billy” again?
This all started when they moved to Washington, D.C. to an old house that stood empty for over twenty years before her parents decided to buy it for its “gothic charm.”  Charm?  It’s not charming, it’s creepy, and the creepiest thing of all is the imaginary “friend” that her brother has discovered—Billy.  This “friend” seems to be turning Michael into someone that Harper doesn’t recognize anymore.
Unfortunately, Harper can’t confide in her mother about this; she gets so weird and upset any time anyone mentions anything strange that she “doesn’t understand.”  She’d talk to her grandmother, but she and Mom aren’t speaking anymore.  Meanwhile, things with Michael are getting worse and worse…will Harper manage to find help in time to save her brother?

If you don’t like the thought of a room with walls that “pulse with dark liquid” or a ghost that appears as a “rotting corpse”, then you might want to avoid this book, but if you love a really good scare, Spirit Hunters is just the book for you. (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2018-2019)

Booktalk #2

Harper's family moves from New York City down to Washington DC. As soon as the family moves into the old house, Harper gets a strange feeling about her new home. Her little brother has a new best friend” that nobody can see, and the house will have moments when it is suddenly freezing cold. Harper tries to explain her feelings to her parents, but they don't want to hear about it. When Harper realizes that her brother has been possessed by a ghost she knows it is up to her to save him. With the help of her grandmother, Harper sets out to save her brother and get rid of the spirit that is haunting her house. Read, Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh in order to find out if Harper is able to save the day... and her brother. (Prepared by: Traci Nelson, Aiken Elementary, tnelson@acpsd.net for South Carolina Book Award)

Booktalk #3

Has anyone ever moved before? Moving is never an easy! But moving is a lot harder than 7th grader Harper Raine ever believed especially if the house is haunted and she can’t quite remember all the events from her past. Harper hates everything about their house and the area. Michael, her younger brother, keeps talking to his imaginary friend and acting out of sorts. Join Harper and Michael for his spooky adventure where the guidance from their grandmother and Korean heritage will help solve the mystery of the house. The story continues in Spirit Hunters Book 2: The Island of Monsters. (Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award 2020-2021)