GHOSTS OF ROCKVILLE: Search for the Dominion Glass
by Justin Heimberg
Seven Footer Press
Paranormal Mystery
ISBN: 9781934734483
Ages 8-up
288 pages
Good ghost stories are more than scary; they are fun. And children's ghost stories should be heavy on the fun and maybe a tad lighter on the scary. Justin Heimberg's latest is a ghost story, the first in a new series for young readers that gets the formula right and throws in something unique for good measure. GHOSTS OF ROCKVILLE follows a group of 12-year-old ghost hunters as they are brought in to deal with a library haunting by a trio of librarians who are not what they seem. In fact, appearance and identity are key ideas in the novel.
The main character is Jay Winnick, a fairly typical sixth grader except for the fact that he is deeply affected by the disappearance of his father, which has led him to become a professional ghost hunter. He is joined in his work by Pam, the daughter of a famous local psychic; Danni, a girl obsessed with forensic science; and Brian, the most popular boy at school who plays dumb so no one will know he is brilliant. The quartet receives a mysterious message summoning them to the Rockville Public Library where they find the rare book room haunted with destructive ghosts. Though dealing with the library ghosts is more danger than they are interested in, they are all intrigued by the possibility of finding the Dominion Glass, a device that has the power to control aspects of the spirit world. For Jay, it feels like a chance to find his father, and his friends don't want to leave him alone in the adventure.
They are promised membership in an exclusive paranormal society if they succeed in finding the Dominion Glass. But they find themselves dealing with a techno-villain bent on their destruction who is racing against them to find it first. GHOSTS OF ROCKVILLE ends mid-tale, and so readers will have to wait for the second installment to find out what happens next.
While the narrative is jumpy at times and the plot not totally cohesive, the story is quite interesting, the characters are fairly likable, and, because it’s not very scary or violent, the book is suitable for readers as young as eight. The most obvious thing about GHOSTS OF ROCKVILLE, and what threatens to overshadow the story itself occasionally, is the “MagicView” that allows readers to find hidden clues along with the ghost-hunting kids. The book is equipped with a plastic viewer that, when pressed to certain pages, reveals words, symbols and pictures not seen with the naked eye. It’s a fun component, but a bit too gimmicky when MagicView images seem inserted for no good reason, forcing Heimberg to work the technology into his narrative. The riddle-like clues Jay and his friends must use to guide them to the Dominion Glass may intrigue some readers, but the lack of resolution in the tale may just as easily frustrate. All in all, though, kids will be pretty amazed with the MagicView as they turn the pages.
GHOSTS OF ROCKVILLE is a ghost story, but one with a few playful surprises sure to thrill young fans of the genre. While not exactly a literary outing from Heimberg, in the end there is no harm done with a fun and mildly frightening story.
--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
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