Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2018 Gr 4–6—Jules Aldridge has just moved with her mom and dad from Ohio to Virginia. Now a seventh grader, she can't count how many times she's moved; her Dad makes a living restoring old homes, which means the family often moves after each job. His latest task is restoring the spookiest house Jules has ever seen, Oak Hill. Almost immediately, Jules spies a strange shadow in the top floor window, as if someone is looking out at her. This cannot be possible; no one has a key to that room. When Jules experiences strange visions of a long-ago family that no one else can see, she knows Oak Hill must be haunted. Jules is fearful about discovering Oak Hill's secrets until she meets a new friend at the library, Maisie Sullivan. With Maisie's help, Jules uncovers the terrible secret of what happened many years ago. The house is haunted by a 10-year-old girl, Lily Bennett, who was left behind in 1889 when her parents were brutally murdered by thieves. Jules and Maisie must figure out a solution to Lily's horrible ghostly dilemma. Told in alternating chapters by Jules and Lily, the narrative is fast paced and engaging. The resolution is achieved quickly, but it will satisfy young readers. VERDICT An enthralling ghostly tale with a neat and tidy conclusion; a good choice for middle grade shelves.—Julie Shatterly, W. A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2018 Sixth-grader Jules is used to moving into old houses so her dad, who specializes in historical renovation, can restore them to their former glory. This time, she’s worried their new old house, a crumbling Virginia mansion, is haunted. Though she’s staying in a modern addition, she has visions of the past from the point of view of a girl named Lily. Nightly, Jules hears a ghostly reenactment of angry men storming the home and Lily barricading herself in a third-floor room, a room still blocked in the present day. In alternate chapters, a lonely unnamed ghost girl watches Jules from a third-floor window and longs for escape. With the help of a new neighborhood friend and the local library, Jules learns what happened to Lily and concocts a plan to help her move on, involving an underdeveloped but suitable alternate-worlds premise. With little conflict, an emphasis on friendship, and a happy ending for all, this gentle paranormal mystery is perfect for young readers who aren’t ready for a scary ghost story. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.