Coffin, Amanda. Haunted Deliveries. Vanessa Gutiérrez, Illus. Camp Whispering Woods. Lerner, 1/2025. 64pp. Fiction. PLB $31.99. 979-8765648438. Paper $12.99. 979-8765649794. GRADES 4–6. ADDITIONAL.
SERIES REVIEW: This mystery story series for reluctant readers has short chapters and a limited number of pages. Each title’s six chapters follow a similar pattern: introduction to the characters and setting, a mysterious event, a thickening plot, and a triumphant resolution. While each title features different kids and a different mysterious situation, each is set at the same summer camp and the overall storylines are very similar. This reviewer read four of the eight series titles featuring words appearing out of nowhere, riddles coming to life, an ancient fossil coming back as a ghost, and packages containing toy items that then become real. Based on cover art and names, each title includes characters or protagonists of various ethnicities, but no identifiable cultures, and everyone seems to be upper-elementary age. Providing a small glimpse into the storyline, a limited number of b&w illustrations are scattered throughout the titles. Designed to help with reading skills, each chapter includes a reflective question about the story, and the books end with a page about phonic skills related to words in the story.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library