The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud; read by Miranda Raison (Lockwood & Co.; book 1)

England has a Problem. About 50 years ago, ghosts started appearing. These aren't the poor, lost souls who just need help finishing up one little thing before they can cross over with the help of Jennifer Love Hewitt. These are dangerous ghosts. Some are more dangerous than others, true, but they can all kill you. In fact, by and large, they want to kill you. Also, they can only be seen by children. Of course, you can't fight what you can't see, so the ghost hunters (or "operatives") are all children. Generally, the kids act under the direction of an adult supervisor who can't see the ghosts, but is usually a former operative who does have experience in these things and can provide direction and advice.
Lucy Carlyle's supervisor in her small town is of questionable competence, and she leaves for London after a terrible incident. There are many psychic detection agencies in London, including the two largest, oldest, and most famous -- The Fittes Agency and the Rotwell Agency. Neither hire her. She does get hired by Lockwood & Co., becoming their third member. (The last one died.) There are no adult supervisors at Lockwood & Co., just Anthony Lockwood (who has impressive Sight), George Cubbins (who has great research skills), and Lucy (who can Hear and Sense better than either of them). The agency is in dire straights after Lucy burns down a haunted house (and acquires a murder mystery), so they can't really turn down the next -- very generous -- offer. There's more to the case than meets the eye, however, and more than ghosts to fear.
I enjoy a good horror book. This one, unlike most middle grade horror, occasionally spooked me. I can't put a finger on why. Maybe it was because I was listening to it instead of reading it myself. Probably it was because it was just downright creepy.
Miranda Raison's narration is excellent, with good pacing and clear pronunciation. Each character has a distinct and consistent voice, and you can hear the emotions in the dialog.
Located in the children's area, this book would work well for teens as well as middle graders.
A word of warning -- these books come out in the U.K. before they come out here in the USA. You may find yourself in for a frustrating wait as new books are announced.
--Diane Brown

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

The Heartland Wars are over. A compromise was reached between the pro-life and pro-choice crowds. Abortion is illegal, but there are still options. Parents can choose to have their 13-18 year old unwound, a process in which the child does not die, but every part is harvested for transplant. Naturally, some people have a problem with this. Namely, the kids who are going to be unwound. Kids like Connor and Risa. Connor is impulsive, always getting in fights and trouble at school. He gets suspicious when he finds three plane tickets to the Caribbean when there are four people in his family. Then he finds the unwind order. He runs away, gets caught, and causes a major traffic accident in the process of escaping. Risa grew up in a state home. Budget cuts mean that some kids have to be unwound. When she doesn't play her piano piece perfectly (she's been studying to be a classical pianist) she is told she'll be unwound. When her bus is involved in a traffic accident, she makes a break for it. Lev is a tithe. His sole purpose is to be unwound, and he's been preparing for it his whole life. "Rescued" by Connor, who then teams up with Risa, all Lev wants to do is escape and get on with his unwinding.
Part of the current crop of teen dystopias, Shusterman's tale has some truly horrifying and heartbreaking moments. The teens in this story are not placed in danger by a merciless government, but by their own parents. Told in alternating viewpoints between Connor, Risa, and Lev, the book has sympathetic characters, consistently good writing, and a quick pace. The ending is hopeful, though not happy. I would expect it to appeal to fans of other teen dystopias, as well as those looking for fiction that explores parental abandonment, rights, and responsibilities; law and morality; what it means to be alive; and self determination.

Darkness Creeping : Twenty Twisted Tales by Neal Shusterman

Darkness Creeping collects twenty previously published Neal Shusterman short stories. Each story is introduced by a brief essay explaining where the story came from. (While these introductions are by no means necessary to understand or enjoy the story, they are generally entertaining in their own right, and it's interesting to see where some of the stories came from.)
The collection begins with Catching Cold, about a boy determined to catch the ice cream truck he hears (based on an actual incident in Shusterman's life) and ends with a creepy poem. In between, good vs. evil, people get what they wish for, revenge is taken, masterpieces are created, and most things don't turn out the way people hoped. Of course, for some people, things turn out exactly as they'd hoped.
Recommended especially for teens or older tweens who enjoy creepy horror (as opposed to slasher horror). No profanity that I can recall, no sex or graphic violence.