Author: Jack Yerby
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2017-09-02
Total Pages: 190
ISBN-13: 9781974485246
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Two young brothers solve the mystery of a ghostly light seen at night in a burned down house. And through their efforts, they find a hidden treasure and capture an escaped convict. The Secret of the Haunted House uniquely takes on the challenge of getting young teens (especially boys) interested in reading. What keeps it from reading as dull as an old Hardy Boys mystery with its shallow characters (who could ever remember if Frank or Joe was the blond) is the inclusion of mischievous pranks that the four Bassett children pull on each other. Interspersed between scenes dealing with the mystery of the lights, the capture of an escaped convict, and the recovery of the gems, are passages describing how the two older siblings pick on the younger two, and how the overly intelligent Kenny gets back at them. Besides maintaining the suspense of the mystery, these interludes develop the character of Kenny and his three siblings. Also providing some local color is the character of Mrs. Tsosie, the next door neighbor. She is a traditional Navajo, and her actions and speech patterns provide a background of Navajo culture to the novel. And finally, the torment that the four Bassett kids put their mother through also adds color and humor.