Chapter Book 3 The Ghost of Poplar Point

 

The Ghost of Poplar Point

Written by Cynthia DeFelice

Genre: Juvenile Fiction  Sub-genre: Mystery

Published on August 21, 2007 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Awards: Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
Themes: Standing up for what you believe in, preserving history, determination and perseverance

Characters

Primary: Allie Nichols and her best friend, Dub Whitwell

Secondary: Michael (Allie's brother), Allie's mother and father, Uncle Hal (the uncle of a friend), Ms. Lunsford (director of the town pageant), Janelle (a girl Allie and Dub's age who has just moved to town), Mr. & Mrs. Kavanaugh (Janelle's parents and antagonists of Allie and Dub), Karen (the school bully, another antagonist), various friends of Allie and Dub's from school

                 In this book for older elementary students, Allie Nichols and Dub Whitwell set about solving the mystery surrounding the presence of a ghost that seems to be haunting Allie. As the two investigate, it becomes clear that the ghost is that of a young Seneca Indian girl whose people used to live at nearby Poplar Point. The two suspect that the girl's spirit is upset because of a hotel development backed by the newly-arrived Kavanaugh family, set to take place on the Senecas' sacred land. Allie and Dub's efforts to investigate are complicated by the fact that the ghost of the girl does not speak English, but rather an Indian language. Further thwarting their plans is the bullying nature of Janelle's father, Mr. Kavanaugh, and of Karen, a bully from school who consistently threatens to expose Allie and Dub's secret plan to stop the development of the hotel.

                I think students in the fourth or fifth grades would really enjoy reading this mystery novel by Cynthia DeFelice. A book like this one would be great for use in a book club or literature circle, in which the students reading it could make inferences about the characters and plot turns all while enjoying a well-written mystery. The relationships between most of the characters in the book are good examples for kids who are around Allie and Dub's age (e.g., that of Allie and little brother Michael, who are always looking out for one another, and that of Allie and Dub, who are best friends and make a great team).