cover image Karma Moon—Ghost Hunter

Karma Moon—Ghost Hunter

Melissa Savage. Crown, $16.99 (352p) ISBN 978-0-593-30279-8

Avid researcher Karma Moon Vallinari, 12, is accompanying her cinematographer father on the break of a lifetime: filming a Netflix docuseries focused on the haunted Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo. The catch? The team, which includes Karma, her best friend Mags, and portly pug Alfred Hitchcock, must capture an actual ghost on film to satisfy the production company. Unfortunately, Karma’s “what-ifs” (a propensity to catastrophize) and her uncertainty over her mother’s abandonment join her on the trip. On-site, the team encounters personalities straight out of a Scooby-Doo caper, such as Nyx Brown, a local boy with a head full of paranormal knowledge, including about Harry Houdini’s connection to the area. Karma’s voice is front and center as readers are introduced to paranormal film classics such as The Shining, filmed at the Stanley, while being drawn into the world of a girl dealing with things beyond her control. Studded with occasional doodle-like illustrations by Savage (Nessie Quest), the mystery’s mix of unshakable friendship, spooky excitement, and life lessons pops with an empowering protagonist who’s full of promise. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary. (Jan.) [/em]