Haunted U.S.A

Gr 5-8-Bardhan-Quallen includes stories and historical information about mummies, zombies, werewolves, and vampires as well as some of the lesser-known monsters such as the Cyclopes. In addition to providing myths and legends, the author also includes the probable explanations for these creatures and tries to debunk long-held truths that are now known to be fiction. Wetzel tells stories of haunted America from the White House to Hollywood. Although some of the places and people mentioned, such as the Amityville house and Rudolph Valentino, might be unfamiliar to younger readers, the selections are still good ghost stories. Murder and death are referenced throughout, but are not graphically described. Both books have an ample number of clear black-and-white and full-color photographs and illustrations. These would be excellent choices for children who have plowed through all of Alvin Schwartz's "Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark" books (HarperCollins)-plus, they include true stories, which makes them even spookier. Perfect for libraries that need a boost or an update to their scary-story collections.-Traci Glass, Eugene Public Library, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.