Mysteries of Trash and Treasure: The Ghostly Photos - by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Book Synopsis

New York Times bestselling middle-grade thriller author Margaret Peterson Haddix returns to the Mysteries of Trash and Treasure series as Colin and Nevaeh unravel a mystery from the 1930s and explore the emotions associated with death and dying.

Colin and Nevaeh are great at finding things. After all, they found each other and became best friends--even though their parents are business rivals. They also found hidden boxes of secret letters, which led them to unravel mysteries about kids from the 1970s.

But when they started Mystery Solvers Inc., they didn't expect to be asked to find a ghost.

Ree recruits them to investigate a series of old, spooky photos left behind in her family's new house. The photos show a boy who looks totally see-through. And in some, he's in a coffin.

That's not so odd for Ree, who lives above a funeral home. But when Colin and Nevaeh start investigating, they discover other sightings of the boy--and other secrets Ree is hiding.

The more clues they find, the more they realize this mystery goes back to a time called the Great Depression. Will history, once again, help them solve the case?

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR BOOK 1: "Two sets of friends, separated by 50 years, are the heart of an engrossing -historical fiction and mystery tale [that] seamlessly integrates the history of the modern women's rights movement into the character-driven narrative. Master storyteller Haddix is in top form, weaving a complex tapestry of different genres, time lines, and generations of characters in a can't-put-it-down novel. VERDICT A winning start to a new series and a first purchase for all middle grade collections." -- School Library Journal (starred review)

"Two 12-year-olds from rival small-town Ohio junk-removal families bond over a historical mystery in this accomplished series starter by Haddix. Brief third-person chapters alternate, building momentum through a gently feminist undercurrent while conferring character depth via affection for the letter writers and their opposing views on objects from the past." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Haddix writes with her usual smooth skill in this series opener, weaving in an interesting theme about possessions and what they mean to different people. The characters are real and inviting, and the emotions ring true. Fast-paced and enjoyable." -- Kirkus Reviews