Category:  Young Adult/Teen Kenny doesn't believe his brother when he claims to see a mysterious light in the burned down house across the road from their home. After several investigative trips to the ruins, he captures an escaped convict, discovers a hoard of missing gems, and almost drives his mother crazy enough to trade him in for German Shepherd—all this while staying one step ahead of his older siblings' attempts to win the battle of who can out-prank whom. What is the mysterious light that Kenny’s younger brother has seen in the old, burned down house across the road? Is it the ghost of old lady Hampton? Or the firefighter who died trying to save her? And why is Mrs. Tsosie, their Navajo neighbor, afraid to go over to the ruins? Kenny doesn’t believe his brother until strange footprints are discovered in the neighborhood. Together, he and his brother explore the old ruins for clues. And Kenny knows he is getting close to solving the mystery when he is captured and held hostage by a dangerous criminal. Will Kenny ever solve the mystery of the ghostly lights? And can he ever pull off the last prank in a never ending contest of one-upmanship with on his siblings before he drives his mother crazy enough to trade him in for a German Shepherd?

Jennifer Anderson's Review of Haunted House
As it's name implies, this book is a mystery set in New Mexico. The story line revolves around a single mother of four children, ranging in age from 11 to 17. While the children are on summer break from school, their mother still has to work. Since the four adolescents are alone during the day, they (like many children), do things that their mother has told them not to do. They are fascinated by the fire-damaged house across the street. Mrs. Hampton (the owner of the house) died in the fire shortly after her son Mark returned with a friend, Darrell Bradford. Mark and Darrell Bradford robbed a jewelry store of diamonds. Mark was killed by several law enforcement officers and Darrell Bradford was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The plot thickens as the adolescents learn more about the house and the "secrets" that it holds.

Although other age groups would enjoy this book, it was written primarily for children ages 8 to 16. The book certainly held the interest of the reviewer. I highly recommend it.

Jennifer Anderson,
Retired high school English teacher