The Haunted Library 2 – The Ghost in the Attic

Dori Hillestad Butler's The Ghost in the Attic is the second Haunted Library book, a gentle ghost mystery for 5 year olds about a girl and a ghost boy taking on their very first case.

What happens

Kaz is a ghost, but not a very good one. He can't glow. He can't wail. And he really doesn't like passing through walls. Worst of all, the wind blew him away from his family, and he hasn't seen them since.

Now he lives in a library with Claire, a real girl who can see and hear ghosts when nobody else can. Together they've set up a detective agency to help find Kaz's family.

Their first customer is Mrs Beesley, who is sure something is living in her attic. There's rustling and thumping. Something like crying. Marbles rolling across the floor, even though the toys were given away years ago!

There's just one problem. Kaz can't go outside, because the wind will carry him off again. Claire's clever answer is her water bottle. Kaz shrinks to the size of her finger and swims in among the green stars printed on the side (which is brilliant, and a bit bumpy).

This is a lovely first mystery for young readers. There are clues to write down and a grumpy boy next door to wonder about. Your reader can play detective right alongside Claire, sorting each clue into yes, no and maybe.

Kaz's sadness about his family is gentle but real. He hopes every noise might be his little brother. And there's a very happy moment when he hears a familiar "Woof! Woof!"

Claire does a couple of things you'd probably rather your own child didn't. She chases a bus down the street on her own and climbs out across a roof! It's all part of the adventure, but it might be worth a quick chat.

What to read next

If your reader wants to know how Kaz and Claire met, go back to the first Haunted Library book. It opens with Kaz's whole family trying to coax him through a wall.