The Return of Skeleton Man

Grade 4-8–Molly and her parents are still trying to find a sense of normalcy after the events of Bruchac's heart-pounding Skeleton Man (HarperCollins, 2001). Here, they're off on a vacation to the Mohonk Mountain House in the Hudson Valley. Skeleton Man is presumed dead, but, as the family settles in, Molly starts seeing small signs that perhaps he's still pursuing them. As in the first book, the preteen protagonist tells her story in the first-person present, a device that keeps the narrative moving but is awkward in passages in which she provides extended backstory or attempts to analyse her feelings in real time. The book relies on a sense of menace that's never fully realised. Molly's fears are vague until Skeleton Man makes his appearance three quarters of the way through the book, and then he proves surprisingly easy to defeat. Even so, this engaging and fast-paced sequel to a modern horror classic will be in demand.–Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NY
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