When his haunt is torn down and he is separated from his ghost family, Kaz befriends human Claire, who has the ability to see ghosts, and helps her investigate a haunting at the local library. By the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery-winning author of The Buddy Files. Simultaneous and eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

A brand-new young chapter book series from Edgar Award winner Dori Hillestad Butler!
 
When ghost boy Kaz’s haunt is torn down and he is separated from his ghost family, he meets a real girl named Claire, who lives above the town library with her parents and her grandmother. Claire has a special ability to see ghosts when other humans cannot and she and Kaz quickly form a friendship. The two join forces to solve the mystery of the ghost that’s haunting the library. Could it be one of Kaz’s lost family members? - (Penguin Putnam)

Dori Hillestad Butler's books have appeared on children's choice award lists in 18 different states. Trading Places with Tank Talbott won the Maryland Children's Choice Award in 2007. And The Buddy Files: Case of the Lost Boy won the 2011 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery. Dori has also been a ghostwriter for the Sweet Valley Twins, Unicorn Club, and Boxcar Children series, and a children's book reviewer for several publications. She's published numerous short stories, plays, and educational materials, and has served as the Iowa Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators' Regional Advisor. She grew up in southern Minnesota and now lives in Coralville, Iowa, with her husband, son, dog, and cat. She visits schools and leads writing workshops all over the country. - (Penguin Putnam)

Horn Book Guide Reviews

In this series-starter, demolition on their abandoned schoolhouse separates young ghost Kaz from his family. He's blown away to a small library in Iowa, where he and a living girl named Claire team up to solve mysteries. The not-too-scary ghost story's friendly cartoon illustrations and engaging mystery are perfect for young readers who are trying chapter books for the first time.

Kirkus Reviews

A young ghost named Kaz is swept away from his home and ghost family by a strong wind, finally coming to rest in a library.But it’s not just any library. Claire, who has a special talent for seeing ghosts, actually lives in the library, which is run by her grandmother. Kaz, who has never had any contact with “solids” like Claire, has a lot to learn. He’s never been able—or willing—to pass through objects, making it especially challenging to hide from her, his initial plan. Eventually, the two team up to try to track down one of two apparent ghosts that already haunt the library. Could one of them be Kaz’s older brother, previously swept away from home? Or could Claire’s grandmother have a role in the mysterious appearances of one of the haunts? Butler provides the right amount of back story to settle readers in this ghostly world, as well as a few amusing new ghostly abilities; the story’s definite lack of creepiness ensures that this effort isn’t likely to scare anyone. Both Claire and, especially, Kaz are well-rounded characters, and the frequent cartoon illustrations of them, with wide, oversized eyes and simplified features set in large, round heads, don’t do them justice.Simple text, brief chapters and a high-interest topic all combine to make this, the first of a series, an easy sell to readers newly transitioned to chapter books. (Fantasy. 7-10) Copyright Kirkus 2014 Kirkus/BPI Communications.All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Reviews

Gr 2–4—Nine-year-old Kaz is an awkward ghost, who is unprepared for life, or rather, death. His family of apparitions has taught him many of the basics. He can float and shrink, yet he hasn't mastered passing through walls or existing among humans, or as Kaz calls them, "solids." Without warning, his family's abandoned old "haunt" is demolished. Separated from his family by violent winds, he ends up in a small town public library. A ghost presumably haunts this library, and Kaz desperately hopes that the being is his missing brother, Finn. He finds a friend in Claire, a "solid" girl whose grandmother owns the library. Kaz and Claire work together to uncover this mystery. This lighthearted tale is the first of a book series. Ideal for early readers, the text is amusing and accessible, and the cartoon-style artwork is winsome. The modern-day setting makes the tale relatable. However, those expecting a more captivating mystery will be unsatisfied with the story's simplistic resolution. While the pacing is fine, there isn't much character development and there are gaps in logic. Ghosts are deceased beings, but Kaz is completely ignorant of human behavior. Yet for young ones seeking a welcoming introduction to the supernatural, this is an acceptable, kid-friendly read.—Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library