India Hill Brown

"This ghost story gave me chill after chill. It will haunt you." -- R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps

The Forgotten Girl

Kim Tyo-Dickerson

For all the forgotten girls, older girls who feel like their little sisters get all the attention, black girls who find themselves not receiving the recognition they deserve from white school administrators, and dead black girls whose graves have been lost in the woods that grew up over the segregated cemeteries where they were buried away from the white folks. A perfectly unsettling ghost story wrapped in a mystery at the center of a school research project about Jim Crow era black and white society, school desegregation politics, modern day micro-aggressions, sibling rivalry, and the power of friendship. Hand this to ghost story fans, only the ones who aren't easily scared, ages 10 and up.

Casie Blevins

A little repetitive (the project!) But amusing.

Katy B

I enjoyed this book, but it wasn't exceptional. I found it unique that a ghost story also took on race and segregation so points for keeping the book fresh and different in that aspect. As far as a scary story, meh. It really wasn't that chilling of a tale. As far as a friendship story I also found it pretty meh. The sister story was cute, but also not that in depth. I did enjoy the part of the story about race and segregation. It was well told, but also brief due to the fact the book wasn't about those topics, itw was a ghost story. So those moments weren't huge, but they were underlying and they were well done. I would recommend this book to young readers, but anyone looking for a really spooky tale I would probably tell them to pass this one up unless they are looking for a unique horror story.

All of that said, I would recommend reading this book in the winter, especially on a snowy day or evening. The setting was very vivid and well done. Several times I wished I was reading this during the middle of a snowstorm or at least during winter and not outside in the sunshine while drinking lemonade.

Kate

Creepy and atmospheric, this book superbly balanced middle grade horror with in-depth and educational discussions of segregation, racism, history, grief, family and friendship. Young or old, no matter your age, this book is an asset to any bookshelf.

"This ghost story gave me chill after chill. It will haunt you." -- R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps "Do you know what it feels like to be forgotten?" On a cold winter night, Iris and her best friend, Daniel, sneak into a clearing in the woods to play in the freshly fallen snow. There, Iris carefully makes a perfect snow angel -- only to find the crumbling gravestone of a young girl, Avery Moore, right beneath her. Immediately, strange things start to happen to Iris: She begins having vivid nightmares. She wakes up to find her bedroom window wide open, letting in the snow. She thinks she sees the shadow of a girl lurking in the woods. And she feels the pull of the abandoned grave, calling her back to the clearing... Obsessed with figuring out what's going on, Iris and Daniel start to research the area for a school project. They discover that Avery's grave is actually part of a neglected and forgotten Black cemetery, dating back to a time when White and Black people were kept separate in life -- and in death. As Iris and Daniel learn more about their town's past, they become determined to restore Avery's grave and finally have proper respect paid to Avery and the others buried there. But they have awakened a jealous and demanding ghost, one that's not satisfied with their plans for getting recognition. One that is searching for a best friend forever -- no matter what the cost. The Forgotten Girl is both a spooky original ghost story and a timely and important storyline about reclaiming an abandoned segregated cemetery. "A harrowing yet empowering tale reminding us that the past is connected to the present, that every place and every person has a story, and that those stories deserve to be told." -- Renée Watson, New York Times bestselling author of Piecing Me Together

The Forgotten Girl

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