India Hill Brown

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-6

Plot Summary: Celeste is embarrased that she failed swim lessons, even if her swim instructor was awful. Her parents declare Celeste, her brother Owen, and their cousins will all spend the week at their grandparents lake house. Celeste isn't excited -- she is scared of the lake! Once they all settle in, Celeste gets even more scared. She swears she sees the attic light on, even after her grandfather takes her up there to show her it doesn't have a lightbulb. She thinks she sees and hears other things, too. Could it be the ghost of her great-aunt? Why does it seem like this ghost is pushing her cousin down the stairs? What is the ghost trying to do?

Setting:

Characters:
Celeste - wants to speak up and use her voice when someone else at the pool accuses her and her grandfather do not belong there (because they are black)
Owen - older brother, gets along really well with Celeste usually
Capri - has an attitude
Daisy - younger cousin, dresses in an old-fashioned way
Grandpa - takes Celeste swimming in the pool for their community and is an excellent, patient teacher
Grandma -

Recurring Themes: swimming, Black history, American history, family, confidence, learning a new skill, teaching, racism

Controversial Issues: none (Black history)

Personal Thoughts: I usually despise scary books so I had to read this one during lunchtime. The suspense built nicely through the writing; the author showed us instead of told us. I was glad I read this to gain more information about black history. I don't think there were any big surprises in terms of the plot but it was well done. The part about how Celeste can use her voice is a little preachy however.

Genre: horror

Pacing: fast
Characters:
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity:… (más)

Girl in the Lake is a 2023 Lone Star horror novel!

Celeste comes from a family of swimmers, yet fails her swimming test, which leads to a trip to her grandparents house to learn how to swim at the lake with her brother and cousins. She's even been told, "Black people don't know how to swim," as if that's comforting? an explanation? Her family explain why so many black people can't swim; during segregation, there weren't many pools for black kids to swim in. You also learn that racism hasn't disappeared over time with an uncomfortable scene at the neighborhood pool. I really like Celeste's grandfather because he shows so much patience with Celeste and her cousin Capri whom he is teaching to drive. He takes everything in stride and patiently teaches each of them when they are ready.

Life at the lake house is not how Celeste's mother indicated it would be. Her cousin Capri is not friendly, and Celeste discovers that she has a doppelganger. Her grandmother's sister drowned as a child and she and Celeste look EXACTLY alike. Celeste is accused of doing mean things, but no one believes her when she says it wasn't her and she wasn't even there! Their great-aunt finds haunting the kids a great past time. She very effectively scares them; but, as Celeste tries to protect herself from the ghost and talk her cousin and brother into believing there is a ghost, she finds herself in danger. She still needs to learn how to swim, but can she enter the lake where the ghost died and survive?

If you like ghost stories, this novel is for you!… (más)