A creepy mystery with a strong investigative thread, this book pairs supernatural suspense with questions about local history, friendship and family support. It may suit readers who enjoy unsettling atmosphere alongside a clearly developing mystery.
More about this book
Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She's a scientist, which is why she can't think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she's made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There's something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour...he's gone. Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad's ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her. Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it's too late.
Scientific outlookThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.Paranormal mysteryThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.EvidenceThe available evidence does not establish the book's treatment of this theme. See Confidence & Basis for the evidence gap.
Consider
Fear and suspenseEmotional intensitySocial conflict
Personalised Fit
Sign in to see how this book fits your child and family preferences.
Claire values the predictability of science while her father works with ghost stories; she applies the scientific method to the mystery.MixedMixed: the book presents both supportive and critical signals.Mixed: the book presents both supportive and critical signals.
How the book presents it: The contrast appears to invite attention to different ways of understanding an unexplained situation, rather than simply dismissing one perspective.
Talk about: Does the investigation change Claire’s view of science, paranormal claims, or both?
Friendship and jealousy
Claire is distressed when her best friend and science-fair partner becomes involved with a new girl, and jealousy is identified as affecting female solidarity.CriticalCritical: the book challenges or disapproves of this theme.Critical: the book challenges or disapproves of this theme.
How the book presents it: The book takes a critical view of this.
Talk about: If jealousy affects the friendships, how do the characters recognise and respond to it?
History and human stories
Claire researches a real Chicago disaster while trying to discover the ghost boy’s identity and story.Exploratory / explanatoryExploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.Exploratory / explanatory: the book explains or explores the subject without an established evaluative position.
How the book presents it: Historical research is used to deepen the mystery and connect a past disaster with an individual human story.
Talk about: How does learning about the historical event affect Claire’s understanding of the ghost and the people involved?
✦
Why It May Be Worth Reading
Its distinctive appeal is the collision between Claire’s scientific outlook and her father’s paranormal world. The investigation also connects a ghost’s story with Chicago history, giving the suspense a human and historical dimension.
!
What Deserves Attention
The haunting is described as intense: scratching, whispering voices, a pursuing ghost boy, dripping water, icy air and scrawled notes. Claire is also described as experiencing exhaustion and emotional distress.
↔
A Conversation Worth Having
How does the book balance Claire’s frightening experiences with help from her brother and friends, and what does it suggest about responding when someone is exhausted or distressed?
◇
Reading Approach
Consider reading alongside Claire’s investigation rather than focusing only on the scares. Pause after especially unsettling scenes, check how the relationships are changing, and discuss what the historical mystery means to those involved.
Confidence & Basis
Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.
What remains unconfirmed
Science and the paranormal: The ending and the book’s final position on supernatural explanations are not established.
Friendship and jealousy: The precise events, responsibility and eventual repair of the friendships remain unclear.
History and human stories: The historical event’s treatment, detail and relationship to the resolution are not fully established.
Suitabook