Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn is about Molly and Michael, siblings whose mother recently remarried. Their new step-sister, seven year old Heather, is determined to ruin their new family by telling lies about how Molly and Michael treat her. It is obvious to them that Heather is trying to break up their parents. The family moves to an abandoned church one summer, hoping the fresh air will do the kids some good. Heather just grows stranger and stranger, going out to visit the small graveyard behind their new "house" and pretending to visit a girl named Helen. Every time Molly and Michael try to stop her, she makes up a story about how mean they are being to her and Dave, her father, takes her side. Molly, however, is sure she's seen a ghost-like figure with Heather and is determined to get to the bottom of it. Michael and Molly do a little research at the local library and learn that the old, dilapidated house behind their own house used to belong to a family, 100 years ago, but every one of them died in a fire - including their seven year old daughter Helen. This is all the proof Molly needs. Michael doesn't believe in ghosts until strange things begin happening inside their own house and Heather claims it is Helen's doing. Meanwhile, their parents are being split further and further apart by the constant battles between Molly and Michael and Heather.

This books was an excellent ghost story! It was scary, but not so scary that I'll have nightmares. I was SO angry at Heather on behalf of Molly and Michael - that's how I know this is a good book! When an author is able to make me care so much about a character that I actually feel emotions, I know I'm hooked on the story!