A prolific writer of children’s literature, the late Joan Lowery Nixon presents several spooky tales in Ghost Town: Seven Ghostly Tales. Aimed at readers ages 8-12, the book provides a brief introduction regarding the history and allure of the countless abandoned towns scattered throughout the American West. Nixon explains how thriving areas that were established and populated by gold miners, cowboys, outlaws and other colorful characters, are now places that show scant evidence they even existed. The gold, silver, and other industries that drove many of these towns have long since fizzled, and the residents have moved elsewhere. Yet these “ghosts” of towns are a tangible link to the past, “where visitors can catch a glimpse of Western life in the 1800s.” The seven stories each take place in a real ghost town, ranging from the famed, now very “touristy” Tombstone, Arizona; the former military Fort Griffin in Texas; to the now obscure abandoned mining town of Maiden, Montana.
Each story, told in third person, is brief and presents a juvenile character or several who experience supernatural phenomena of some sort: ghosts, apparitions, cursed objects, etc. Being a children’s book, the stories are devoid of anything graphic, and truly are not “scary” or “frightening.” Rather, Nixon utilizes suspense, dread, mystery, and a sense of creepiness for this particular work, while highlighting the history, landmarks, and historic figures of each town. The end result is a book with thought provoking tales, sure to engage children’s curiosity about how and where people lived in the Old West. Accompanying the end of each tale, Nixon provides a further description of each town’s history, and provides directions to each location. For those hungry for more information, she also includes several websites and book recommendations for each “ghost.” As this book was published in 2000, it is possible that several of these sites and books are outdated in their information, or are no longer available. Nixon concludes the book with a section on ghost town etiquette and safety: look but don’t touch, and obey all no trespassing signs or boarded up areas. For children (and adults like me) who love history, especially the Old West, Ghost Town is a delightful and suspenseful read, while providing readers a nice dose of historical facts and actual places. My only critique? This book should have included a ghostly tale in Colorado 😉 I’m thinking Tin Cup, with its sectioned graveyards assigned to several knolls in the forest…But I’m willing to overlook this omission. 🙂
~LMC
Ghost Town: Seven Ghostly Stories by Joan Lowery Nixon, Delacorte Press, 2000, 149 pages
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