Bunting, Eve. The ghost children

Bunting. Eve. The Ghost children. Clarion, 1989 [0-618-60477-4]

When Matt’s mother dies, he and his sister get sent to live with their strange Aunt Gerda. She cares for the life-sized wooden dolls, carved by her former husband, which stand on the front lawn. The town thinks she is crazy because she talks to these dolls like they are alive..and some community members swear they have heard the dolls talk also. Soon the dolls start to get vandalized. Meanwhile a developer wants to buy Aunt Gerda’s farm. Matt tries to find out what the story is. Who is vandalizing the dolls. Is their Aunt crazy? How can her Aunt and they survive with no income? I have always liked Eve Bunting’s stories and this upper elementary one is no exception. I am sure there will be a good audience in my library for this 166 page book.