I absolutely loved this book! I am not usually a fan of scary ghost stories, but Scritch Scratch is so much more than that! A journey of friendship and family is woven into the story as well as learning about historical events in Chicago. Claire is a character you want to be friends with and help on her journey.

This book is perfect for middle grade students! It is authentically scary with well-developed characters that we root for. I really enjoyed the positive brother/sister relationship, which we don’t see enough. I also liked how Claire had to work through problems with both her friends and her parents and learned the importance of communicating with others and sharing problems. Another aspect of this book I loved was the Chicago history! My students live in rural Florida, so this setting is so different for them and gives them a glimpse into living in a big city, Chicago in particular. The horror of the ghost and the mystery was just right! It felt like it could have been real, which is what makes great ghost stories so great! It is rare to find a book that all of my students from ages 11-14 will enjoy, but I think this will be one of them!

Currie delivers a splendid follow-up to her ghost story, "The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street." In this new book, Claire, a tween who likes to deal in facts, is embarrassed about her father's Chicago ghost tour business. Pressed into assisting him one night, Claire inadvertently makes contact with a young ghost boy who died during a horrible tragedy in 1915 and who subsequently begins haunting her.

Currie doesn't mess around with jumping into the story. The ghost is introduced and the haunting begins within the first few chapters. The basis of the story is steeped in real events; the ghost in this story is based on Willie Novotny, a real seven-year-old who died during the Eastland disaster in 1915. In addition to enough details to be scary without being gory or sickening, this book also talks about teen-girl friendship, and family and sibling relationships.

Currie's ghost stories are perfect recommendations for fans of Mary Downing Hahn and a must-have addition for school libraries who serve upper elementary and middle school age kids.

Claire has a problem. While helping her father lead his ghost tourbus through the city of Chicago Claire discovers a little boy among the passengers of the tour. The problem is no one else can see him. When the tour is over strange things continue to happen and Claire realizes she must have brought the ghost home with her somehow. Terrified and ever more exhausted from too many nights spent sleeping on the floor in her closet because the little boy is in her room, Claire finally enlists the help of her brother and her friends to help solve the mystery of the ghost boy, They need to piece this story together before the ghost coming after her does something more dangerous than just making things do go bump...or scritch scratch in the night.

This spine tingling middle grade ghost story great for fans of Small Spaces, Watch Hollow, or Nightbooks.

Scritch Scratch was a cute, fast middle grade paranormal mystery full of creepy encounters and historical significance. I appreciated how the book featured a tragic historic event that occurred but has never really received the importance that it deserved. I think this will be a great read for kids who like the idea of ghosts and scary scenes while at the same time showing the importance of friends and being honest with yourself and those around you.

I liked that the mystery resolved and the personal/family issues were handled well, making this a complete story on it's own. That being said, I could see this as the start of a paranormal/ghost mystery series. At times I struggled with liking the main character, her analytical "scientist" approach was abrasive and standoffish, making her very hard to empathize and connect to, but the side characters had enough personality to make up for it. Overall this was a fun read that I would recommend to my nieces and nephews to pick up.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This was a good and little bit (but not too much) spooky young readers/middle grade novel. If your young reader likes Goosebumps or even historical fiction novels this is definitely one that I would recommend. I really love the author's note at the end that helps tie in the true story concerning the spooky stuff in her novel.

The one negative thing I would have to say about this novel is that our main character, Claire, is just a downright brat to everyone until the last couple of chapters. She is not kind to her parents or her brother or her friends, even when she's accusing them all of the behavior SHE is doing. Other than her not being likable, I quite enjoyed this fun little read and will absolutely be recommending it to younger readers in my life!

This was a great and interesting read about a true event! I had no idea about these historical events and it has certainly made me read more into some of the things discussed. Different to your average ghost story because of the fact mixed with thr fiction! Whizzed through this as I needed to know what was going to happen!

This review is based on an ARC of Scritch Scratch which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

I loved this book! It is the perfect read-aloud for middle grade! As a teacher, I kept thinking of the many ways it could be tied into our study of the Great Chicago Fire and other tragedies of that time period. This book is spooky but also does a fantastic job of teaching kids about the rich history of Chicago. The characters are so relatable. The themes of friendship and the importance of family are so beautifully written into this book. I was rooting for Clare throughout the story and I'm sure you will to. Add this to your TBR pile and then share it with your MG readers as well!

This was the book that completed my 2020 goodreads challenge. It was so good y’all! It’s full of Chicago history, all real events that actually happened. My husband is from Chicago, & I moved 45 minutes from there when I left my home state, & met my husband while living there. This was such a page turner. If it wasn’t for my move I would’ve finished this in 1 day. There are so many important take aways from this book too. For 1, we should always remember nobody’s life is perfect, or what it may seem from the outside. Everyone has problems. We also shouldn’t judge someone off appearances. It’s ok to admit when we’re afraid or when something is bothering us. It doesn’t make you weak. We need our friends & family, & should also always go to them when we need them. Also, this book shows how important it is not to forget history. It highlights one of Chicago’s biggest tragedies, that took more lives than another world tragedy that is famous & well known. Yet, the Chicago 1 is hardly known by anyone. I had never heard of it, & that makes me sad. Those people should not be forgotten. So grateful there are authors like this combining their talent with doing something good, like reminding people of history that should be remembered. Highly recommend. This book comes out on September 1st!







Synopsis: Claire has absolutely no interest in the paranormal. She’s a scientist, which is why she can’t think of anything worse than having to help out her dad on one of his ghost-themed Chicago bus tours. She thinks she’s made it through when she sees a boy with a sad face and dark eyes at the back of the bus. There’s something off about his presence, especially because when she checks at the end of the tour…he’s gone.

Claire tries to brush it off, she must be imagining things, letting her dad’s ghost stories get the best of her. But then the scratching starts. Voices whisper to her in the dark. The number 396 appears everywhere she turns. And the boy with the dark eyes starts following her.

Claire is being haunted. The boy from the bus wants something...and Claire needs to find out what before it’s too late.

A great middle grade ghost story. I loved the cover, but stayed for the characters and a truly creepy story rooted in Chicago history.

This novel is one of the best I’ve read this year! The characters are so dynamic yet relatable. I loved the flow of the story. It held my attention the whole time.

One gloomy evening, seventh-grader Claire Koster is reluctantly recruited to be her dad's assistant on one of his creepy bus tours of Chicago, informing passengers of ghostly legends. What Claire didn't anticipate was the ghost of a young boy following her home. What does he want, and why did he choose Claire? This page-turner is the perfect blend of creepiness, history, and middle school angst. Those who are fans of the supernatural and appreciate tales related to true events are in for a treat. Perfect for middle-grade readers looking for a deliciously thrilling story, this book will keep readers engrossed until the satisfying conclusion.

Scritch Scratch is the ultimate middle grade spooky novel that will keep readers turning the pages and wanting to know more about the mysteries and ghosts of historic Chicago. Set in present time Chicago, Claire considers herself a scientists and everything in life is a science experiment. That is until Claire works on her dad's spirit tour bus one night and brings one of the spirits home with her. This fast paced story weaves together mystery, a determined ghost, and group of friends who all have a stake in Claire's ghost for different reasons.

Having been born and raised in a close suburb of Chicago, I love Lindsay Currie’s books. She has a way of shining a spotlight on spooky, forgotten pieces of our history that is second to none. Even though I live near Chicago, there’s so much to the history of this great city that I don’t know! I loved Googling newspaper articles and pictures of the actual events described in this book as I went along— so fascinating! If you love ghost stories based on actual events, this book is for you! It’s spooky, funny, and has relatable characters— a recipe for a middle-grade win!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I loved this book. Lindsay Currie will now be on my favorite author list for scary stories for kids. Scritch Scratch is the sound that the ghost makes scratching on the walls of Claire's bedroom to get her attention. He wants something from her. What a great scary story that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. A fantastic ending and I hope the author makes this into a series. I would read each and every one.

I was really fascinated by the author's use of a real disaster in her story. Chicago's history of a deadly capsized ship that killed 844 passengers and crew. There is a book called Capsized about this disaster.

I don't know quite where to begin with this review, as I honestly loved nearly everything about this book. Like a lot of children of the 80's, I grew up reading a lot of YA paranormal fiction, and even as an adult I thoroughly love a lighter ghostly storyline. This novel very much falls comfortably in a "middle school" reading level, but it is still one that I also would recommend to anyone who enjoyed Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, or Small Spaces by Katherine Arden.

This story focuses around Claire, a twelve year old no nonsense girl. As a scientist at heart, she finds herself constantly exasperated by her father's obsession with the paranormal, an obsession that has landed him a book deal and his very own haunted bus tour. When his only other employee calls in sick, Claire is forced to accompany him and help on his tour, where she comes face to face with the unexplainable.

The creepy bits were very well done, the storyline flowed easily, and Claire was a character that I truly loved and probably would have related to when I was much younger. Solid 4.698 out of 5.

Scritch Scratch is a really fun read for kids who love scary books with a mixture of suspense and mystery. It was easy to connect with Clare and go on this spooky adventure with her. I found myself lured into this world, and wondering what was going to happen next. There was something new and exciting happening with every turn of the page. This is a must read!

"Scritch Scratch" combines the life of a middle school girl and the ghost of the young boy. The "spooky" scenes are fantastically written and will keep you reading. There is a nice element of character development for the main character and those around her. She even bonds with her brother. Gasp! This is a great scary story edition for lower middle grades and upper elementary. It also explores the haunted history of Chicago.

Scritch Scratch by Lindsay Currie is a wonderfully crafted ghost story that keeps the reader turning pages with eagerness to the very last page!

Claire finds her scientific self on the bus ghost tour with her Dad and someone or something finds her and follows her home. You will fall in love with her character and become intrigued by her story. Will she be able to end the haunting while keeping the secret? You will love following her on this journey!

I cannot wait to share this book with all my students in the library!

Loved this blend of spooky happenings with a bit of Chicago history. I was rooting for Claire and her friends the whole way though! And side note: I totally think there should be a SCRITCH SCRATCH tour - I'd be first in line for tickets!