Books for Kids: The Haunting of Heck House

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The Wiggins Weird Book 2. The Haunting of Heck House
Puffin Canada/Penguin Random House Canada
age 8-12
By Lesley Livingston and Jonathan Llyr
280 pages

Synopsis from Fitzhenry & Whiteside:

Monster-mashers and babysitters extraordinaire Cheryl and Tweed are back, along with their friends Pilot and Arnie—and they’re in trouble again! This time, they’re tangled up in some ghostly goings-on: solving the mystery that lies behind the creepy doors of Heckleston Manor, Wiggins Cross’s only genuine haunted house.

As the leaves fall from the trees, once picturesque neighbourhoods take on an eerie feel with stark branches stretched to the sky. Well, that’s how we like to think of fall, especially around Halloween. This is the perfect time for spooky stories like The Wiggins Weird Book 2 The Haunting of Heck House. We’ve been reading this book at bedtime, a chapter a night. The idea of a mysterious house haunted by ghosts is a chilling tale but nothing too scary (though there was one scene with slamming doors that had us all snuggle just a little closer).

I enjoyed that the two main characters, Cheryl and Tweed, are strong female characters that show their ingenuity and gumption plus a little fear (because who wouldn’t be afraid of hand prints on the inside of a mirror). My son especially loved the girls’ action sequences, where they imagine themselves in a movie in order to build-up the courage to complete certain tasks. Sometimes we all need to put ourselves in another role to get things done. My own son has been applying this idea to tasks at home like cleaning his room or raking leaves outside.

The Haunting of Heck House is the second book in The Wiggins Weird series but the story isn’t dependant on reading the first book (though it does make reference to some events). We never read How to Curse a Hieroglyphics but after enjoying this scare we might just look into getting a copy.

You can find a copy of The Haunting of Heck House at your local bookstore or at Penguin Random House Canada. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations.

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