The Ghosts of Stone Hollow

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

Amy’s new town holds a secret far more wondrous than she could ever imagineTaylor Springs is the place where Amy’s family grew up, and it felt like her hometown even before she moved there. But there is one place that her family left out of their the supposedly haunted Stone Hollow, a hidden valley with an old, deserted cottage. And though Amy is curious, she can’t get a straight answer about it from anyone—well, anyone except Jason. Jason has explored Stone Hollow, and he doesn’t think it’s haunted. He has a different He believes it’s a place where time folds and moves over itself, replaying scenes and moments from the past. And sometimes, the past comes back in unexpected and unwanted ways. Amy doesn’t believe Jason at first, but soon she realizes that things aren’t always as they seem. Could Jason be right about the secret of Stone Hollow? This ebook features an extended biography of Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery, Childrens, Juvenile, Middle Grade

207 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Zilpha Keatley Snyder was an American author of books for children and young adults. Three of Snyder's works were named Newbery Honor books: The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm. She was most famous for writing adventure stories and fantasies.

Reviews

[C. (Don't blank click my reviews, comment please! · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am new to Zilpha Keatley Snyder with an odd, long name but see that she is award-winning through other novels. This 1974 one didn't need to be set in 1938 and doesn't feel like it is in 1938, thus I don't know the authoress' purpose but most of it felt relevant. A strong, sour exception was one teacher's attitude about allowing children to fight, thinking it does any good. She would be fired in present day. The only other distinction is that families drove the Model-T Ford, the first commercial vehicle and that is it. “The Truth About Stone Hollow” becomes highly metaphysical all of a sudden and thereafter, the remainder sparkles with life. It takes a long time to get there and is about peer nonsense for longer than I cared for but revolves around a girl with loving parents and an aunt.

Facets that make this novel of interest, before the zesty content, is the refreshing background of Amy's family; pleasant, loving, and affectionate. Although her Mom and aunt grew up in this town, Taylor Springs; Amy and her parents lived in San Francisco until an injury halted her Dad's job. There is a rumour about a valley and derelict buildings that is so strong, no one she knows has entered it, except their elderly farm hand, who warns against it and a new pupil. Seeing the end of Amy caring what peers think and pairing with the boy to explore, does not come fast enough. I allot four stars for a slow start and abrupt end; leaving town after things got nifty.

Suggestions that Amy's pioneering Grandfather disdained his wife and elder daughter, puzzle her because her Mom raved about him. It was something to chew on prior to the mystical part. I enjoyed this novel.

[Eilonwy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-1/2 stars

Like all the kids in Taylor Springs in 1938, Amy knows to stay away from Stone Hollow. Terrible and sad things happened there in the past. But when a new (and very unusual) boy, Jason, arrives in town, he discovers the Hollow himself, and convinces Amy to explore it with him. He has some intriguing theories about time loops and old Caesar, the dog who lives on Amy's Aunt Abigail's farm. But some things a person just has to decide to believe -- or not -- for themself.

Funny, I'd rated another edition of this book with a different title (The Ghosts of Stone Hollow) 4 stars based on my memory of it from childhood. But this reread was a whole different story.

This just didn't feel like a coherent, cohesive plot to me. The title promises "the truth" about Stone Hollow, except ... there isn't one. There isn't even really any need for a "truth," since basically everything Amy knew about Stone Hollow at the beginning of the story IS the truth about Stone Hollow. (Which might explain why the title got changed for other editions.)

Then at the end, there's suddenly some truth shown about Amy's mother and Aunt Abigail ... but there was no particular buildup to that. For my adult self, it came out of the blue, and I couldn't have cared less. Then it was followed by a preachy lecture about everyone having their own personal truth and personal experience, which is a message I could have gotten behind if it hadn't felt so dang preachy, and if it hadn't been tied into something completely different from Amy's awkward friendship with Jason and exploration of Stone Hollow.

So wow, what a disappointment. This book was just glum the whole way through, and then never added that glumness up to anything much. Yes, it's got that trademark Zilpha Keatley Snyder question of "supernatural or not?" But by the end of this, the answer to that question did not matter to me one whit.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Amy Abigail Polonski returns with her parents to her mother’s hometown in southern California, after her father is crippled in an accident, she does her best to fit in at her new school. But the arrival of young Jason Fitzmaurice in Taylor Springs, in the fall of 1938, disrupts and transforms Amy’s life, as she finds herself reluctantly befriending the sensitive new boy. Different from the other children in town, Jason confuses Amy, for although she must sometimes protect him from the school bully, he is not afraid to venture into Stone Hollow, a nearby mountain valley that the townsfolk believe is haunted.

Forbidding him to mention their friendship at school, Amy spends her Sunday afternoons with Jason, and as they explore Stone Hollow, they slowly unravel the tragic history of the sinister place. Once a site of worship for Native Americans, the valley was settled by an Italian-American family who all came to tragic ends through disease, disappearance and madness, and next inhabited by a pair of bootleggers who died in suspicious circumstances. The children discover a grotto at the far end of the valley which contains a mysterious stone, one that Jason claims allows him to see people who are not there.

The process whereby Amy and Jason discover the nature of this stone - what it truly does, and how it has effected the many generations to call Stone Hollow home - is mirrored by the growing bond of friendship between them. Amy's own personal experience with the stone, shortly before she and her family must leave town once again, teaches her an additional (and very important) lesson: that truth is frequently tied to perspective, and that different people can know very different truths about the same people and events. The Truth About Stone Hollow is another of those haunting Zilpha Keatley Snyder stories which seems perfectly suited to its time period (the later years of the Great Depression, in this case), and yet, oddly timeless as well. In this respect, it reminded me of another Snyder title set in Depression-era California, The Velvet Room , and that is no small praise! Although not one of the author's very best - which title must go to books like The Changeling and Below the Root - it is still amongst her strongest, and deserves to be better known than it appears, from the paucity of online reviews, to be.

[M.L. Bullock · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story!

I feel like I stepped back in time. Great book for anyone who likes mysteries. Loved it and will share it.

[Suzanne Costner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyt book by Zilpha Keatley Snyder is prefect to read on Halloween. I read this book with a sick dread of disappointment. So often the things one loved in childhood have a way of being somehow less than you remember. (Lemonheads, anyone?) I loved "The Egypt Game" when I was about 10 and I still vividly remember the chilling thrills of "The Headless Cupid". How would this book impact my technicolor memories of those other tales?

In short I loved it. Not a challenging read by any means, I finished it in a few hours. But it captured perfectly that preadolescent anxiety where everything seems possible. The author's true gift is capturing the mind-set of late childhood, the questioning of adults, seeing situations and motivations with a new, frighteningly deeper understanding, and the confusion and pain of losing your real child-hood innocence, "beliving what you're told." This growing awareness parallels nicely with her themes of supernatural/occult situations. She has an uncanny ability to translate to words the feeling one gets only in childhood, that if one says the right word, or holds still long enough, says a prayer, that all will be revealed.

[H.L. Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those delightfully written books with language that transports you into the mind and heart of the main character. An utterly charming book that kept me coming back page after page. Though it is true it was written for what we now call a middle grade audience, this book performs that magic of taking you back to the spirit of childhood. I would highly recommend this book for any age.

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It's tricky to write about The Truth About Stone Hollow because it leaves so much unsaid. It's not a wholly satisfying book, but it has so many layers that I think it would lend itself well to re-reading and to theories and speculation. For instance, in the scene where Aunt Abigail says that too much church can be as bad as too little church, could this be implying that she thought too much church somehow made her father tyrannical, his clerical position giving him some superiority complex? Maybe Helen was his favorite child because she never questioned anything he said, while Abigail dared to think for herself more. Maybe Taylor Valley is some symbolic microcosm that represents a safe and predictable, but cloistered society while the unconventional Jason represents freedom of thought and expression. An entire academic paper could probably be written about this book.

Aside from its more cerebral aspects, The Truth About Stone Hollow has solid characterizations, plenty of atmosphere, and Alton Raible's wonderful artwork. If you enjoy children's or middle grade books full of ambiguity and symbolism, you may find a lot to like in this book!

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a funky interesting little book. It’s a little light-weight, but has the seeds of some interesting ideas here.

[Jeffrey Leatherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read "The Truth About Stone Hollow" in 1982 and later bought a discarded library copy when I was researching children's series fiction with my wife. I even corresponded briefly with the author (who preferred Zil) shortly before her passing, and she was most accessible. She said I was the third college professor who was moved by the historical themes - and in my case, the bootlegger angle struck home because my grandfather once engaged in the trade before WWII.

I just revisited Stone Hollow on Hoopla, as my old copy is in storage. I missed the original pictures, which were almost like sepia-tone photos. This is one of those novels that stays with you long after you read it. Zil told me that it was one of her favorites to write, but it was not necessarily for kids because of its ambiguous ending. Nonetheless, I think it would be a good book for parents to read to their children, though some might object to the subtexts of religious doubt and skepticism.

In 1938, sixth-grader Amy Polonski lives in Taylor Springs, California. Her mother has often recited nostalgic stories about her own girlhood, so when Mr. Polonski is disabled after a factory accident, they move in temporarily with Amy's widowed Aunt Abigail. Abigail is a sad, church-going woman who still lives in the family home, Hunter Farm, replete with its own secrets and even a mysterious caretaker, Old Ike, who is wrapped up in the enigma of nearby Stone Hollow.

At the start, Amy only knows fragments of ghost stories mixed in with real events surrounding the titular Hollow. She hears about the unfortunate Ranzoni family who were isolated because of their foreign birth. When tragedy struck them, no one was there to help. Old Ike, it is revealed, knows something about two bootleggers who were found dead beside their whiskey still. Even though Prohibition has since been repealed, the unhappy story still makes the rounds at church.

Amy is curious about the Hollow, but has not dared to go beyond the turn-off point when walking Caesar, the family dog with his own curious past. This changes when she meets Jason Fitzmaurice, the new boy in school. Once you get past the obligatory bullying sequences, he is revealed as a sensitive boy whose well-traveled, scholarly parents are dismissed as 'heathens' at Amy's church. She's interested in knowing Jason more, but wary of being seen openly in his company.

As matters emerge, Jason reveals that Stone Hollow contains a special and dangerous place, where different times can be observed. However, during their forbidden trips to the Hollow, he warns her that those who try to use the Stone for selfish purposes have had terrible things happen to them. Using the Stone as a window to observe is harmless enough, but sometimes, it becomes a doorway for the unwary or the unwise. Amy learns this truth for herself before the story ends.

Just like the original title of this neglected gem of a novel, I will leave potential readers to find out the "truth" about Stone Hollow for themselves. How are the past stories interwoven? What does Amy discover on her own? When I spoke with the author in 2011, she speculated that perhaps there should have been a sequel, perhaps when Amy returns as a young woman. Unfortunately, this will never happen because of Zil's 2014 passing. But speculation can be a wonderful thing...

[Susann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ZKS I hadn't read since childhood. Not one of my favorites, but still a good read. ZKS had lots of story lines going at once, and I would have preferred more emphasis on the story behind Amy's family. I liked the complex portrayals of Amy's parents and Aunt and that each one of them uses conflicting methods to support Amy.

Bought at The Book Trader in Philadelphia.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember liking it. I remember being reminded of ghost stories and other tales I heard when growing up in San Diego. But the specifics have escaped me. I want to re-read it.

[Mark Buxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

My name is Amy, and I'm slowly learning why people around here are so frightened of Stone Hollow. Jason, the new boy in school, says he's been up there several times, but I'm afraid to be seen with him. He's really strange, and my classmates would tease and bully me if I'm seen near him. I've learned from my parents that a family died in Spring Hollow, and bootleggers died on the property years later. My aunt thinks people who believe in ghosts are heathens and small-minded, and my mom thinks bad things will happen to me in the woods. Not ghost things; she's sure I'll die of an animal attack or a disease. My dad may be confined to a wheelchair, but he remembers what it's like to be a kid. However, I don't know if he'll understand that I've decided to sneak up to Stone Hollow with Jason.

This book was about ghosts, but it broached many other topics too. The setting was in a rural, wooded area and took place in 1939, late in the Depression Era. The aunt and mother were god-fearing women, and people with different beliefs were heathens. This included an author and Amy's father, a Catholic. Jason pointed out to Amy that she'd been taught so many things to fear, that in effect, she'd been taught what to believe. A lesson might be to remain open to new ideas but think for yourself. Also, you can tell from my summary that bullying and peer pressure were central factors. Amy went to extreme lengths to avoid being associated with Jason, a stranger to the class with an unusual background and beliefs. She displayed a natural curiosity that the town culture discouraged. Again, learn to think for yourself. This was a safe ghost story. There wasn't any intense drama or suspense that might disturb younger readers. There were spirits, but there weren't any spectral ghosts wandering around. Overall, I liked the book, but some readers may be looking for more.

[Rachel Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read December 2018 under the title The Truth about Stone Hollow.

Started off interesting with Amy’s friendship with the mysterious newcomer child, then went downhill with a lot of teasing about Stone Hollow’s big secret and Amy’s sinister family history, but very little resolution. Usually I complain about over-explanation, but this one didn’t provide enough - it was like the ending just fell off. What exactly did Amy and Jason gain from exploring the Hollow? Within the story, what was the purpose of what they found? What was wrong with Amy’s family/her grandfather? WHY was Jason so odd? It seems as though Snyder wanted to leave something to the imagination, but pretty much ended up leaving all of it. It’s especially disappointing after The Egypt Game was so good.

SPOILER:

Amy’s reaction to having to move away annoyed me. It seemed as if all she wanted was to know what was up with Stone Hollow and didn’t care about leaving Jason. How about asking for his mailing address? Phone number (or maybe he didn’t have one, I forget)? Writing a letter to the school or post office addressed to him? I mean if I had to leave my best friend I’d find a way to keep in touch.... “Okay thanks Jason, you’ve outlived your entertainment value, bye”. >.< Geez.

[Buffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 but rounding up because I never felt bored. Very flimsy in terms of the actual plot, we and Amy never really find out anything definite. It’s a book if wanting to know and wondering which can be ok but I feel like so many ideas were put out there, it’s less than satisfying to have no sense of resolution about anything. I know I have read this before as I know I read every ZKS book that was available in 1979 but I have zero memory of this.

[Charlotte]

I guess my childhood library didn't own this one; I only this month found ZKS had written a time-slip story and I think I'd have pounced on it if I'd seen it as a child, and possible found it more satisfying then, although it was a good read even at my advanced age.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

As part of my rereading favorite books from grade school, this one was a favorite then and a favorite now. Time slips were terrifying to me as a kid, and fascinating as an adult. While the main characters are flawed, the story is interesting and novel.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Such a good writer! But that ending...

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a number of Zilpha Keatley Snyder books when I was a child, and I don't remember particularly liking any of them. After seeing this book on Goodreads, I wanted to try it as the title sounded interesting. Funnily enough, The Ghosts of Stone Hollow isn't even the original title - the original was The Truth about Stone Hollow. The newer title is more interesting, but not quite accurate, I'm afraid.

The Ghosts of Stone Hollow takes place in 1938 in Taylor Springs, a (fictional) little town nestled up in the foothills of California. 6th grader Amy Polonski moved to Taylor Springs two years ago, after her father suffered a paralyzing accident at his union construction job. Amy's mother grew up in the town, but Amy and her father are outsiders. Amy tries her best to fit in, but she has to hide her true self from the other children. Amy is intelligent and imaginative, but the other girls her age are only interested in gossiping about boys. When a new boy named Jason moves to town, Amy is drawn to him. Jason is different - his parents are rich, they've traveled all around the world, and they don't even practice Christianity! Needless to say, Jason doesn't fit in with his small-minded classmates. Amy and Jason form a secret friendship and bond over the mystery of Stone Hollow - a spot in hills that everyone thinks is haunted.

I really enjoyed The Ghosts of Stone Hollow. I wasn't necessarily expecting to like it that much, but it exceeded my expectations. Part of this was due to the setting. Zilpha Keatley Snyder herself was born in little Lemoore, California, and I wonder how much Taylor Springs is based on that town. Considering that Snyder would've been about Amy's age in 1938, I'd guess that parts of thing book are autobiographical and a lot of parts about adolescence & growing up rang true for me. Additionally, I grew up in California's Central Valley myself, so I love reading books that are set in inland California.

The main reason why I liked this book, though, was the supernatural element. I expected there to be normal ghosts, but what the book really contains is much more fascinating (I do love ghost stories, though). Jason and Amy discover that the Stone at Stone Hollow is magical and can bend time. People and animals can somehow travel through time when they are near the Stone, and that's how some mysterious deaths in the past occurred. The Stone also allows people near it to view the past, leading Jason and Amy to some revelations about past events. Perhaps Snyder based the Stone on some actual indigenous belief - I have no idea. It reminded me, however, of the novel Picnic at Hanging Rock. The scene between Amy's grandmother and grandfather at the end of the book is never fully explained, but it adds to the mystery of the novel as well as to one of its messages: the truth is not absolute.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy's family relocates to Taylor Springs after her father's injury at work leaves him unable to work. Her mother grew up in Taylor Springs and they move in with her aunt, so Amy feels at home there, even though she has never been there before. Taylor Springs has a secret. Something happened at the old cabin at Stone Hollow. Nobody will talk about it, except to say that the old cabin is haunted and bad things happened there.

When Amy meets another new student at school, Jason, they begin talking about the old cabin. Jason has been going there, and talks Amy into venturing there with him. He doesn't believe the old cabin is haunted, but that the old stone in the hollow somehow folds time so people can see and hear things from the past.

He cautions Amy that the stone, and looking into the past, might be dangerous. But, Amy is desperate to find out the truth behind what happened at Stone Hollow.

This book is eerily creepy and gives out clues to the mystery very slowly and deliberately. Not all the questions are answered when the story finishes. But that just makes the mystery more realistic. Not every supernatural or mysterious occurrence is ever completely explained or solved. The fact that it wasn't all perfectly wrapped up at the end just added to the mysterious feel of the story. In the end, all of us have mysteries or situations in life that will never reveal the entire truth. As I finished the book I was thinking about those instances in my own life where I will never have the answer, rather than dwelling on the author's purposeful loose ends from the plot.

A fun, eerie read! The book is short -- only 18 chapters. So it's a perfect middle grade book that's also a wonderful rainy afternoon read for adults.

Solid 7 of 10 rating on this one!

Zilpha Keatley Snyder wrote 43 books for middle-grade children, including 3 Newbury Honor Books: The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm.

[AquaMoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy has been taught to see the world in black and white, truth and lies, good and bad, right and wrong, and to never question her elders. That is, until she befriends Jason, the odd new boy in her class at school. Thanks to Jason, Amy begins to see the various shades of gray through which the world can be viewed and to question the things she previously took for granted as being definites. She learns that, sometimes, one can never really know the absolute truth.

Of course there's a dark family secret that is hinted at, a supposed haunting, and a series of occurrences that are never really fully explained but, instead, are left up to the reader to draw their own conclusions about.

Overall, a good spooky-wierd read. I liked how Amy's character grew from never questioning what she was told to learning to think for herself and draw her own conclusions about life.

3.5 stars

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't one of Zilpha Keatley Snyder's best (The Egypt Game and The Headless Cupid hold that distinction), but it's still entertaining. I never noticed the sort of subversive conversation about religion, ethnicity, and labor when I was younger, but at the same time, I wasn't as disappointed with the ending then. So it goes.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of Snyder's books linger with you when you're done in some way. The Ghosts of Stone Hollow is still in the back of my mind since I finished it the other day. The way Snyder reminds us that different truths exist simultaneously. The lingering mysteries regarding family secrets and Stone Hollow itself. The chills from Snyder's vivid descriptions of people and times long gone.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found myself really engrossed in this book, but the ending left me with several questions. I understood what I think the author was getting at, but I'd still like some clear-cut answers regarding things from the characters' pasts just for closure.

[Joanna Warrens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author and the Ghosts of Stone Hollow was no exception. Snyder allows some ambiguity and doesn't wrap up all the details. This allows the reader to think about the possibilities. It has a similar setting and time to "The Velvet Room" but is more magical.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary read

One of my favorite books from when I was a child, scared me silly!

I've been re-reading some childhood favorites and this one stands the test of time. Highly recommend!

[Alyss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book still creeps me out, and I haven't read it since puberty. Incidentally, it's how I learned about lockjaw.

[Desiivy]

I want to read this book so bad, I read the first one “Truth About Stone Hollow” many years ago. Unfortunately I can't seem to find the book for under $90.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just found an old book report I did on this from 8th grade, in which I wrote the main character's journal. Book reports were so much fun in those days...

[Thea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book really freaked me out when I was a kid!

[Robin Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story from Zilpha Keating Snyder

She never disappoints! I loved her books as a child and I love them as an adult. Now I can pass them on to my kids.