The Girl in the Locked Room: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn

My name is Jules, and I've once again been forced to move to a new school along with my parents. I wish my dad would stop taking jobs to fix up old houses, although this one feels different. I could swear I've seen a little girl in the window up in the locked bedroom, and then again down by the stream. I'm not sure what she wants, but I feel like I'm supposed to help her. However, the dreams I've been having about angry men storming the house cause me to awake in a panic. My mom thinks my imagination is the problem, and I wish there was someone else I could talk to. I'm already the new kid in town, so who would listen to me? I've got to do something before I drive myself crazy!

As you may, or may not, know, I've always enjoyed books written by Mary Downing Hahn. She's written spooky ghost stories, they're not scary enough to intimidate young readers. The interesting twist in this book is the related "dreams" of Jules and the ghost. Jules has frightening images of violence, and the ghost has foggy impressions of people and events. She doesn't understand what they mean, and it's not until later that it's confirmed that these visions are actually foggy memories. The interesting thing is that Jules shares some of the same visions and slowly understands what's going on. Usually, the ghost is the one who knows what everything means, but the ghost is the innocent victim in this book. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot if you're looking for a short, eerie story.