56 Water Street

by Melissa Strangway

Something's not right at number 56 Water Street. From the sidewalkin front of the abandoned house, ten-year-old best friendsDerek and Ravine watch lights flicker on and off, again and again.When they race home to tell their parents, they're in for a is no house at 56 Water Street!The house is invisible to everyone but Derek and Ravine, and theghost haunting the old place wants to get their attention. Trappedfor more than a hundred years, Isabel Roberts needs to solve themystery of her younger sister's fate before she can truly rest inpeace. And she's chosen Derek and Ravine to help her.When the two friends summon the courage to venture inside thehouse, they're unprepared for what they find (after all, meeting aghost face-to-face isn't exactly normal) and for the spine-tinglingadventures in store for them. But Derek and Ravine are determinedto help Isabel. If they don't, she could be a ghost forever!

156 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2007

Reviews

[Catie Merchant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short awesome read. I enjoyed every second of it!

[Faduma · Rating 5 out of 5]

All-time favourites, such a sad and heartwarming story that you never forget.

[Teish · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first “spooky” book. So cute I love it

[Monster]

Something strange is going on at 56 Water Street. Derek and Ravine see the lights turning on and off and find out that they are the only ones who can actually see the house: to everyone else it is just an empty lot. When they work up the courage to go into the house, they find out that the ghost of a teenaged girl in the house has made it visible because she wants their attention...and their help to solve the mystery of her sister's fate so that she can finally rest in peace.

Strangway has created a believable world using simple and accessible language that is also creatively descriptive. Her characters are of the brave, mischievous kind that kids will identify with and love. At times, the writing is repetitious from chapter to chapter, but rather than being a detriment to the story, this makes it ideal as a chapter-a-night ghost story for the 8-12 year old range. Those anxious to find out what happens need not worry, however, as 56 Water Street is a quick read at 145 pages. Recommended for public libraries, particularly those wishing to acquire more titles by Canadian authors.

Review by Stacey L. Wilson, Master of Library and Information Science candidate at The University of Western Ontario.

[Dean Italiano · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a teacher at our school who shares this book with his grade 3/4 class, and they go bananas for it each time. So I finally snuck one of our two copies home to find out why, and now I can see why they all like it so much.

This is a well-paced ghost story that introduces elements like having our heroes disappear, and time stopping, which added a lot for me. Ravine and Derek also have to solve the mystery of the missing sister, which includes a stop at the Library, online searches, and a feasible outcome. (But I won't give it away.)

I took one start away because I found some of the dialogue a little stiff or unrealistic. I might be too harsh on that, but it did pull me out of the story a few times.

I would recommend this book for Grade 3/4 aged students, and/or for adults who want a quick, not-too-scary ghost story in 145 pages.

[Michelle Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book because my son's Grade 6 class will be reading it soon and I wanted to ask him questions about it when they began. I actually really liked this book and I think my son will too. It's an easy read with lots of suspense and it's perfect for the young readers of the world. This isn't a book I would normally choose for myself but I was pleasantly surprised.

[Maria Kerekes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is amazing! Two children, both about 11 years old, are really creped out by this house. But they soon realize that the house was torn down years ago. They soon try to venture inside and find a ghost! Can they help this ghost move on?

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Canadain author
Grades 3-6

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favourite books. i liked it, it was a short book, but it was amazing.