Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
182nd out of 253 books
—
399 voters
Stonewords: A Ghost Story
by
Pam Conrad
The first time Zoe met Zoe Louise, Zoe was four years old. Zoe Louise was more than 100. From that day on -- living in the same house, separated by a staircase and a century -- Zoe and Zoe Louise have been an important and permanent part of each other's lives.
Now Zoe is older. And although Zoe Louise never grows up, she is changing in dreadful, frightening ways. Time is r
...morePaperback, 144 pages
Published
August 2nd 1991
by HarperCollins
(first published March 1st 1990)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
866)
I read this book many years ago, and all I could remember is that there was a ghost, and that I ended up cowering under the blankets and waiting for it all to be over.
So I reread, because it couldn’t *possibly* be as epic and horrifying as I recalled.
I was more than halfway up the cliff of stairs, against a soundless wind, losing the light that had been so precious, suddenly aware that Zoe Louise was clinging to me, begging me, and when I turned to look at her, I was stunned to see she had wrapp...more
So I reread, because it couldn’t *possibly* be as epic and horrifying as I recalled.
I was more than halfway up the cliff of stairs, against a soundless wind, losing the light that had been so precious, suddenly aware that Zoe Louise was clinging to me, begging me, and when I turned to look at her, I was stunned to see she had wrapp...more
8 likes · like · see review
view all 15 comments
This book scared me to death in fourth grade, but it was still one of the books that I kept going back to. I reread it earlier this year when I subbed in my old classroom (hi, nostalgia!), and it's a solid read. Creepy, with a well-wrapped up ending, and great for kids 10 - 13 who like a little fear with their recreational reading.
This was another book that I read over and over when I was young. I think I got it from a book fair, and I loved it. The ghost story was creepy enough to give me goosebumps on the 23rd read-through, but not scary enough to give me nightmares.
The cover of the book I had (have, probably, at my momma's house) is of a girl with a skeleton hand, which, come on, tell me what child wouldn't want to read that book? Mmm, time-travel ghost story deliciousness.
I also vividly remember Zoe's relationship w...more
The cover of the book I had (have, probably, at my momma's house) is of a girl with a skeleton hand, which, come on, tell me what child wouldn't want to read that book? Mmm, time-travel ghost story deliciousness.
I also vividly remember Zoe's relationship w...more
First, let me tell you about the story have for this book. In the 6th grade I had the worst teacher ever! Mrs Wolff, I think she got real pleasure out of hating me. I think she even tried to get me out of her class and into another 6th grade class at one point which would have been fine by me, but I digress, so we were assigned to read four of five books out of ten books for various projects and such, and I had read four and was just beginning to read this one, when the deadline to read was up....more
1 like · like · see review
This was a great book! I read this during my daughter's nap today and it was time well spent! This is a interesting story and very well told. Written in 1990, this was a Nutmeg book (CT's highest honor for books) in 1994. It reminded me of a kids version of The Time Traveler's Wife. I'm not sure what age this would be good for - I'd say an 8th grader would like it, but it's shelved with other "kids books." I think this is more of a teen/ya book - some spooky topics/ghosts/death/adult description...more
I picked this up in my recent quest for middle grade horror (both for nostalgia and research purposes). :)
I think if I'd read this at age 10-11, I probably would have loved it to the point of obsession. It's tightly written and I very much liked the protagonist, a young girl left to live with her grandparents by her flighty (and possibly crazy) mother. As soon as she arrives, her haunting begins...
The plot is appropriately simple for the target audience, but there were still aspects of the myste...more
I think if I'd read this at age 10-11, I probably would have loved it to the point of obsession. It's tightly written and I very much liked the protagonist, a young girl left to live with her grandparents by her flighty (and possibly crazy) mother. As soon as she arrives, her haunting begins...
The plot is appropriately simple for the target audience, but there were still aspects of the myste...more
Good, well-written young-adult ghost story.
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I didn't particularly like this book; I couldn't connect with it very well and probably wouldn't have finished it had it not been on a book club list. If you truly approach it as a ghost story, I think it might be an easier read, but I think I went in expecting too much and came away a little disenchanted. Maybe I like Alfred Hitchcock a little more! Nevertheless, there were many students in the book club who enjoyed it; some even liked it the best of all the books read this year. Note: It just...more
This book is both a ghost story and a time travel story, and like many combining the two genres, it involves resolving issues that both the present and past child are facing. In this work they share the same name Zoe and Zoe Louise. The current Zoe lives with her grandparents because her mother has mental problems of some unexplained sort. She meets Zoe Louise when she moves in with her grandparents when she is four, and spends lots of time with her before she becomes aware of the mystery of Zoe...more
This was one of my favorite novels as a child. I first read it in 4th grade, and then again many times after that. Though it is so deliciously creepy, in the end, it is really a story about friendship and family. And ghosts. And going back in time. For the age that is meant to read this novel, it has just the right amount of complexity. Conrad's writing is also quite beautiful. The main character, Zoe, is genuine and easy to relate to. I haven't read this novel in a few years, but it has always...more
My daughter read and re-read this book when she was about 11 years old. She kept telling me about the two "Zoe's" and how fantastic the story was so I decided to read it too. I was totally caught up in the story! The ghost story combined with time travel really appealed to me - but more than anything else, Pam Conrad (may she rest in peace) knows a child's heart - and ultimately, it is her themes of friendship and love, coupled with longing and loss that makes this book extraordinary.
When Zoe is 4yrs old and goes to live with her grandparents, she meets an 11yr old girl named Zoe Louise. For the next 7yrs, the two are best-friends. But Zoe notices some thing: her best-friend never grows; she always looks the same. Now she must unlock the secrets and save her best-friend before it's too late. This beautifully written book about two girls who are separated by a century, and yet, in each others worlds had me reading, without putting it down, until it was done.
So I read this in the 5th or 6th grade, and remember it's pleasing red hardback cover (I never kept the dust jackets), it's enticing cream pages, deceptive slimness. It creeped me out, this child- ghost story. I remembered the scene where Zoe Louise stood in the middle of the dinner table, kicking the roast in front of oblivious adults. And the love/repulsion Zoe felt for Zoe Louise, which I also felt. I adored it so much I thought about naming my little girl Zoe Louise. Unfortunately I lent it...more
I absolutely LOVE YOU GoodReads, for putting this in my recommendations. I read this book as a kid but had almost completely forgotten about it until today. I'm giving it four stars based on my memory of reading it more than once. I couldn't get enough of ghost stories back then, and this was a good one from what I remember. I also have this book to thank for my ability to correctly pronounce the name Zoe. Hilarious blast from the past, love it.
This was the book that MiMi brought to me, from her own elementary school library. She's been bringing me books from her school to read, which I find so sweet. The last one she brought me was HP and the Deathly Hallows because we had seen the movie. I was so moved but I told her that I have at least six more to read (now five) before I can get to that one.
continued @ http://blog.yourpointismoot.com/2011/...
continued @ http://blog.yourpointismoot.com/2011/...
This story is about a girl who met the ghost of a woman, Zoe Louise, who used to live in her house. When they first met, Zoe was about 4 years old and Zoe Louise was about 100 years old. They have been both living in the same house and they share a special bond. Though Zeo Louise is a ghost, her grandparents think that the Zoe Louise that Zoe refers to is an imaginary friend. And though, they've been good friends for years, Zoe Louise seemed to be changing. To save her friend, Zoe must go back i...more
I don't even remember whether this book was well written. All I know is that it completely freaked me out. I still have memories of the creepy images it produced. It's all about a little girl who moves into a house and becomes friends with another, strange little girl. . . who's a ghost! Chilling and awesome YA ghost lit.
I love this ghost story by Pam Conrad. Zoe and Zoe Louse are ghosts in each others lifes. They are from diffrent times and are connected by their names and a powerful friendship and stair case zoe met Zoe louse when she was 4 i recommend this book to people believe in ghost. zoe has to save zaoe louse's life to change history
I remember reading this book when I was a young girl, probably in the third or fourth grade. The story and the characters have stuck with me ever since. I will never forget Zoe or Zoe Louise. I may have to find this book and re-read it one day!
Dec 28, 2011
Brandy Haru
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
kids, young adults, people who like ghost stories
Shelves:
kid-books
This is a book that I remember reading in the fifth grade, well only part of it. For years what I could remember stuck in my head; a ghost named Zoe Louise, a girl in the present named Zoe and Zoe Louise dancing around naked in the snow.
A co-worker of mine helped me find the book; she posted my description to a website and came back with the title. While the book is aimed for juveniles, I still picked it up again, and read it.
Even though written for children, it was still enjoyable, a little spo...more
A co-worker of mine helped me find the book; she posted my description to a website and came back with the title. While the book is aimed for juveniles, I still picked it up again, and read it.
Even though written for children, it was still enjoyable, a little spo...more
An unusual ghost story about two girls named Zoe who meet over a span of 100 years. Good characterizations. The book is thoughtful and at times, entirely creepy. I was sorry when I finished.
Creepy time-travel ghost story . . . well-written and entertaining, if not terribly original. Kids who like Mary Downing Hahn but are up for something scarier would enjoy this.
Mysterious things are happening, but the most important question you need to ask yourself is: what is real and what is fake? Dive into Stonewords to answer for yourself!
This was Fourth Grade required reading, and it was on of the first stories I REALLY GOT INTO! I read before, but I could put the book down great kids book
I remembered liking this book in elementary school, so I decided to read it again to see if it was still good. I had good taste in elementary school.
Jul 19, 2011
Melissa
added it
This is one of my favorite books from when I was a kid. It has a great storyline and gets you thinking about the supernatural, plus a little history.
This is one of those books that haunts you years and decades later. Epic children's ghost/horror story for the budding bibliophile.
This was a ghost story, yes, but even more it was a story about family. The complexities of family are never easy, as Zoe quickly learns because of her very complicated mother. When faced with an usual friend ( a ghost also named Zoe), the main character feels drawn to help solve her friend's mysterious death.
In elementary school one of my teachers read this to us in class and I remember really being into it.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What's The Name o...: YA book, girl haunted by ghost name Zoe [s] | 5 | 35 | Mar 23, 2013 10:05am |
Pam Conrad (1947-1996) was an author for children. Her book Our House: Stories of Levittown was a Newbery Medal finalist.
Ms. Conrad was born in New York City and graduated from the New School for Social Research.
More about Pam Conrad...
Ms. Conrad was born in New York City and graduated from the New School for Social Research.
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
