YA Ghost Story (in anthology?). Ghost named Sarah/ Sara whose coffin is in the closet. Her knocking during a séance is what leads the family to her coffin. After family moved in, daughter talked about ghost of girl. Read in 1990s. Published 1970-1999.

[Stephen]

I read the book around 1995? I had to have been in the 5th grade. I read a lot of paranormal books around that time! I don't recall the book too much, but I SUSPECT that it was a library hardcover of a softcover book. My private school had a lot of odd books in the small library. The book itself might have been a collection of ghost stories.

A family moves into a house with their daughter. The house was purchased after the woman who lived in it before passed. Sooner after they move in the daughter starts having nightmares or is getting sick. She starts to talk about the ghost of a girl. A medium is eventually called in and he holds a seance. The ghost's name is Sarah (or Sara) and he asks that she knock to answer questions. Eventually, it is discovered that she is in on the property. With the knocks, she leads them to her resting place. "Keep Knocking Sarah!" or "Lead us to you Sarah!" is shouted by the medium. Her coffin is found behind the wall of the closet or the wall of the girl's bedroom. Sarah is moved and buried next to her mother.

I think there were other stories also but I cannot recall. This has been bothering me for YEARS. would love to find a copy of this book.

[Kris]

Stephen, that's a good start. Please add more plot details in the header/topic title. Many members only read the headers. We have thousands of YA requests.

Copy more plot details from your message #1 to the header by clicking the small "edit" link after the header. This only works on the full Desktop website - not the Mobile website or app. (On the Mobile website, there's a "Desktop version" link at the bottom of the page.)

[Kris]

Are you using the Mobile Website or App?

[Stephen]

Kris wrote: "Are you using the Mobile Website or App?"

I was using the regular desktop version but it looks to have updated finally.

[Kris]

That's great. Thanks for updating the header. This will help searchers and moderators.

[Rainbowheart]

Any chance it's the same book Courtney is looking for here?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

One of the stories sounds similar....

"In this story, a boy and his parents check into a hotel. He sees a little girl in a pink party dress and is happy to have someone to play with. I think the girl comes to him in the middle of the night pulling his blankets, wanting to play, and singing "This Old Man." The next day, the boy asked the hotel owners where the little girl is so they can play together and they told him there was no little girl staying there. I think she was buried in the wall and eventually led the boy to her body. "

[Stephen]

Rainbowheart wrote: "Any chance it's the same book Courtney is looking for here?

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

One of the stori..."

It sounds similar but I don't remember the girl singing and I'm pretty sure it was a daughter and not a son but I am going to ask her any way! You never know! I'll keep you posted! Thanks!

[Kris]

Stephen, please post a new comment if you're still looking for this book - or if you found it.

Stephen (OP) last posted in the group in September 2020. Moving to Abandoned folder.

[Stephen]

Hi. OP here. Still looking for the book. It’s driving me crazy. Lol.

[Rainbowheart]

This also sounds a bit like the book Murphy is looking for here....

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Rainbowheart]

I think I may have it!

The Haunted Graveyard and Other True Ghost Stories

The story in question is "The Spirit of the Waverly Inn," and it's pretty close to what you remember. The ghost's name is Amanda, but there is a seance where she leads people to her body.

After lighting a candle, they held hands and let Dr. Savant start the seance. "Amanda, we want to help you find your mother," said the professor. "But you have to help us. Tell us where your body is buried."

Suddenly a loud knock came from the other side of the room. The professor walked over and put his hand on the wall. "Amanda, is your body behind this wall?"

They hurried into the kitchen. "Lead me to you, Amanda," said Dr. Savant. The rapping sound then moved down the hall to the Whartons' room. A minute later they heard knocking coming from the Pulaskis' suite. And then it moved into Kristen's room in the wall behind a huge oak dresser.

Moments later Dr. Savant and Mr. Pulaski used a sledgehammer and an ax to break through the wall. When the plaster fell away and the dust settled, everyone gasped. The hole in the wall revealed a small white coffin.

Amanda's ghost soon got her wish. She was buried in the same cemetery in a plot next to her mother, Stella.

[Stephen]

That is incredible! It’s very similar if not THE story. The coffin I remembered was buried by the mother upon its discovery. Buying it now!

[Rainbowheart]

Glad to help out!

Here's the part with the note from the mother....

"Here lies my daughter, Amanda Lynch. She was the sweetest girl in the world— the light of my life. I loved her with every ounce of my being. But she was cruelly snatched from me by an illness that happened so swiftly she died before I could get her to a doctor. I couldn't bear to part with her. I wanted her to be with me always. So I kept her here."

When the authorities arrived, they opened the coffin and found the body of a young girl in a pink party dress. They later determined it was Amanda Lynch.