Dirk Bones and the Mystery of the Haunted House by Doug Cushman

Genre: Fiction

Publisher Information: Harper Collins, 2006 (32 pages)

Summary: Two ghosts are living in a haunted house and they are scared of the strange sounds coming from their "ghost." They report the story to the local paper, Ghostly Tombs, and Dirk Bones a skeleton reporter is on the case. He investigates the house and a near by graveyard to find the source of the clickity, clackity, chub, glub, sounds being made. He finds the source of the problem, Sherman the Vampire, who is typing a cookbook in a tomb because it is a quiet place to think. As soon as this problem is solved, he's on the next case: a werewolf who is afraid of the moon.

Reading level: 2.2
Reading interest: ages 4-8

Personal rating and reason for rating: (*** Good) I liked this book because of the part of the story where the ghosts were afraid of their "ghost." Children of the age group reading this book may have fears about monsters and ghosts and this would give the child a new perspective. Also, kids seem to love stories about skeletons, ghosts, monsters and vampires around Halloween and this would be a fun book to use for that holiday.

Possible uses of the text in integrated subjects:

Reading: Students will become "reporters" and create their own newspaper with stories of interest to them. If it is Halloween centered, they could report on trick or treating or something that scared them, or even their costumes. Student reporters could read over real newspapers to look for and circle spelling words, basic sight words, or new words to learn.

Art: Students will create illustrations for their newspaper.

Science: Incorporation of Dirk Bones as a study of the skeletal system.

Social Studies: Student will read over approved newspaper articles and headlines, and make a collage of what is going on in our world today. Class discussion of headlines would be good on approved subjects such as our environment, local news, the weather, and our soldiers in Iraq.

Math: Students will make skeleton bones, place them on paper and show addition or subtraction problems by adding or taking away bones. Gummy worms, plastic spiders and candy corns would also be fun to use with this for Halloween Math!

Beverly Ross