From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6 - In his signature easy style, Hayes tells the story of Frank Padilla, a man who will not admit to the existence of ghosts. When he moves into a haunted house in Arizona, he's a little spooked by the strange noises and mysteriously moved items. It is his 14-year-old daughter, Elena, who finds out what the ghost wants, but not before almost losing her own life. At just short of 90 pages for both alternating English and Spanish text, this is a quick, riveting read. Definitely a step above R. L. Stine's "Goosebumps" series (Scholastic), it is reminiscent of Alvin Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (HarperCollins, 1981). The frequent black-and-white pencil drawings are undistinguished, but do extend the story, and the scary-looking cover of a skeletal girl in her quinceañera dress will definitely sell the book. This is an ideal choice, whether in English or in the informed Spanish translation, for reluctant readers. It is straightforward, but swiftly plotted.
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Review
"At just short of 90 pages for both alternating English and Spanish text, this is a quick, riveting read
This is an ideal choice, whether in English or in the informed Spanish translation, for reluctant readers. It is straightforward, but swiftly plotted."School Library Journal
"The English and Spanish text flows smoothly and invitingly, and Hayes’s short chapters make this perfect for classroom read alouds, as well as for independent reading. Sure to be popular with young chapter book readers who enjoy a chill running down the spine, Ghost Fever is also recommended for reluctant older readers."Criticas
"For the past 28 years, the pool of Bluebonnet candidates have been selected by librarians, who put together a master list of 20 titles they’ve observed their tiny charges checking out or that teachers recommend. Eight- to 12-year-old critics commit to reading five books from the list making the Bluebonnet the largest children’s reading program in the country…It’s the first time a bilingual book was selected. I doubt the kids who cast Bluebonnet votes at 1,700 libraries across the state consciously voted for change. They probably just dug the story of un inquilino, a renter, his daughter, and the ghost in the quinceañera dress the symbol of Latina becoming…It’s reassuring to see kids can’t resist a good old fashioned gross-out cuento, en cualquier idioma." —San Antonio Current
"Simple black-and-white drawings throughout this bilingual book make it an easy page-turner and point up the important moral lessons included in the story. Fortunately, those moral lessons are based on compassion, tenderness, and hope, rather than dwelling on guilt and fear. Hayes's experience and friendship with the Latino community make his work both authentic and engaging." —ForeWord Magazine
"Highly recommended! …Spanish phrases, easily understood in context, are integral to the English version. Appropriately spooky black and white pencil illustrations punctuate the text." —Reforma
"What better way to learn or improve your English or Spanish than to read a bilingual ghost story! …Even with the text switching back and forth from several paragraphs of English to a loose translation in Spanish, the suspense builds." —Children's Literature
"Hayes also thinks kids love ghost stories because they are a sort of safe scare. 'They get the thrill of being scared without any real danger,' he says. 'And a ghost story defies reason and explanation. There’s something satisfying in this super-rational age to contemplate things that science can’t explain.'" —McAllen Monitor
"In this chilling tale of a haunted house in a small Arizona town, Grandmother 'knows all about the ways of ghosts.' She helps Elena solve a mystery and learn 'a valuable lesson about life.' The text is in both Spanish and English." —Yellow Brick Road
About the Author
Joe Hayes is one of America's premier storytellers. He grew up in a small town in southern Arizona where he learned Spanish from his classmates. As he got older, Joe began gathering old stories from the Southwest. Joe has earned a distinctive role as a bilingual storyteller.
