Stories of paranormal oddities and strange happenings are undeniably fascinating, and these installments in the Yikes! It’s Haunted series spotlight a horde of spine-tingling legends. The stories in Haunted Objects feature dolls, furniture, mirrors, and art, such as copies of a distinctive painting that were found unharmed in the burning remains of several houses. Haunted Ships, Planes, and Cars describes several historical disasters and the legendary tales of hauntings that circulated in their wakes, including a spooky tale of the car James Dean was driving when he died and the race-car driver who was killed while operating a vehicle containing salvaged parts from the same deadly car. Unsettling stock photos, as well as images of some of the haunted items and places mentioned in the text, fit right in with the eerie atmosphere. Appropriate to the subject matter, the stories are presented as hearsay rather than fact, and although there’s not abundant historical information, there’s enough to give each tale a bit of real-life context. Though there might be little in the way of nonfiction here, this will nevertheless pique the curiosity of reluctant readers, and a closing note about paranormal research (“A good researcher will always look for a natural explanation first when investigating a reported haunting”) and a handful of critical-thinking questions could help introduce nonfiction reading skills.
— Sarah Hunter, Booklist, January 2017
