Margret Rettich

I love strange stories...ghosts, strange history, weird occurrences, aliens, witches....whatever weirdness is out there, I'm willing to give it a read. This collection of 20 stories is a little bit different.....at first each tale seems supernatural, but then a natural explanation is found. Human quirks, misunderstandings, animals, wind.....no ghosts at fault, just normal life seeming strange.

While it is obvious this story collection is aimed at middle-grade readers, I still enjoyed the tales. The fact that none of them were actually "scary'' in the end was a bit disappointing, but I quickly got over it and started to think ahead as to what the normal outcome would be. My favorite story was one about an Aunt and two kids who get lost during a self guided tour of a castle and find themselves locked inside.

This book would be perfect for a younger student who finds actual ghost stories a bit too scary....these stories are more interesting than scary. It might be a good Halloween season read for someone who doesn't like being scared but still wants to feel like they joined in the spooky stuff at least a little bit.

Enjoyable read, even though I prefer my chilling stories to actually be scary. :) I found myself enjoying these little tales, mostly because they all end on a positive note. A bit of chill....and then calm. It made for a nice reading break on a windy, spring evening. The original book was published in German and translated into English by Elizabeth D. Crawford. Crawford also translated a book of Christmas stories by Rettich, The Silver Touch and Other Family Christmas Stories.… (mehr)