Haunted Canada 6: More Terrifying True Stories. Joel A. Sutherland. Illustrated by Norman Lanting. Toronto, ON: Scholastic Canada, 2016. 120 pp., trade pbk. & html, $8.99 (pbk.). ISBN 978-1-4431-4878-8 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-4431-4879-5 (ebook). Subject Headings: Ghosts-Canada-Juvenile literature. Haunted places-Canada-Juvenile literature. Grades 4-9 / Ages 9-14. Review by Stephanie Johnson. **** /4

excerpt:

The sky was grey and lifeless. The early morning sun was concealed behind a thick layer of clouds. The dirt road outside the Westminster Hotel was quiet. A figure walked alone.

The solitary figure was a mother who had come to see her son. He was a cleaner who worked the night shift at the Westminster Hotel. She walked slowly and hesitantly into the main floor lounge known as the Arm Pit and looked around. Not only was there no sign of her son, but she couldn’t see another soul there. She called out. Her voice echoed across the room. No one replied. She slowly made her way deeper into the lounge. Then she heard something from the other side of the hotel.

The mother passed through a back passage that was filled with dust, cobwebs and boilers, and approached a door to the bar, the Snake Pit. As she neared it, the sounds grew louder and became clearer. She could hear men’s voices, talking, cajoling and laughing. And over the chatter was the distinctive clinking of poker chips. Had her son let his friends in for a game of cards when he was supposed to be working? The mother barged into the tavern and was met with the sight of another empty room. The sounds of the poker game, so clear when she was in the boiler room, stopped abruptly.

In Haunted Canada 6, a collection of 25 spooky stories, readers are treated to a variety of tales from across Canada that are sure to give them the shivers. Each story lists where it takes place which will be sure to interest kids even more when they come upon a story set in their hometown. The style of the text switches between eyewitness accounts to more story-like prose: the latter helps to immerse the reader into the story while the eyewitness accounts remind the reader that these are not fictional stories but true experiences. The text is accessible in its vocabulary and structure but is so interesting that it will appeal to a wide range of reading levels and ages (adults included). The stories are short in length but contain enough background to create a spooky ambience that will make this a great read-aloud book. One of the most exciting things about this book is the inclusion of pictures. These add an increased level of fear to the stories. For example, when reading about a haunted doll that watches and winks at people, readers actually get to see a picture of the doll’s glassy eyes and cracked skin. Some of the stories are scarier than others, but they are all generally quite creepy and, therefore, may frighten some children.

     A great read for all ages and abilities and perfect for the Halloween season, Haunted Canada 6 is sure to fly off the shelves and enter into readers’ dreams (or nightmares!).

Highly Recommended.

Stephanie Johnson is a graduate of the Master of Library and Information Studies Program from the University of Alberta.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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