Trapped in Room 217

August 1, 2018

Gr 3-6-When Jayla's father whisks her and her brother Dion off on an unexpected trip to Colorado for a work commitment, they expect a fairly dull week stuck roaming around a hotel that doesn't even offer an indoor pool. What Jayla doesn't bargain for is that the hotel her father has chosen is the famed Stanley Hotel, known for its resident ghosts-and that the room they've booked is none other than number 217, popular with ghost watchers for its haunted reputation. Their first night there, Jayla and Dion are woken by a sudden chill in the air and the appearance of Elizabeth, a hotel maid who lights a lamp that no longer exists and leans down to pick up an unidentified object on the floor near the bed. After this action is repeated on multiple nights, Jayla decides to free Elizabeth from the confines of the hotel, an action that brings about disastrous results. Part of a compelling new series about "real" haunted locations across the United States, this installment is an entertaining ghost story, delivering just the right amount of chills. VERDICT Fans of Lauren Tarshis's "I Survived" series will quickly flock to this high interest, accessible thriller.-Joanna Sondheim, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City

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July 15, 2018
While accompanying their father on a business trip to Estes Park, Colorado, seventh-grader Jayla Walters and her younger brother stay in a hotel filled with ghosts.After a late-night ghostly encounter with a woman wearing a maid's uniform, Jayla and her brother, Dion, decide to explore their temporary home. They discover that not only is the Stanley Hotel the most haunted hotel in Colorado, but their room is particularly noteworthy for its spooky happenings. Ghostly voices, energy surges, and mysterious lights are only a handful of the supernatural encounters that other guests have recorded. Jayla and Dion decide to free the ghost of chambermaid Elizabeth from her nightly wanderings, but they only manage to anger her. This series for young horror readers is based on real-life famous hauntings, but while the underpinnings of this Rocky Mountain tale may enchant those interested in supernatural history, the story itself fails to intrigue. A flat plot, missed opportunities to plumb emotion, and wooden storytelling yield a narrative that is slow and plodding. The failure to describe the setting, so important in a ghost story, further robs the narrative of its power. Ivy's stiff black-and-white illustrations only somewhat mitigate this. An author's note explains the source of the inspiration and offers tips for young supernatural investigators. The illustrations reveal the Walters to be black. Beware the Bell Witch (Tennessee), Ghostly Reunion (Minnesota), and Spirits of the Storm (Texas) publish simultaneously.A poor start to a series with a promising premise. (Supernatural adventure. 8-12)

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