The Black Butterfly

By Shirley Reva Vernick
    Paperback: $11.95

    A spooky hotel, two ghosts (friend and enemy), real boyfriend, real romance, a forgiven mother. Not bad for Winter Vacation.

    Description

    Penny is furious, and who can blame her? She has to spend Christmas break alone at the Black Butterfly, an old inn at the coldest, bleakest edge of America–the coast of Maine. This “vacation” is the brainchild of Penny’s flaky mother, who’s on the other side of the country hunting ghosts. Penny most definitely does not believe in spirits. Or love. Or family. Until, that is, she discovers two very real apparitions which only she can see…and meets George, the handsome son of the inn’s owner…and crashes into some staggering family secrets. If only Ghost Girl didn’t want Penny dead. If only George were the tiniest bit open to believing. If only she could tell her mother. Then maybe this could still be a vacation. But it’s not. It’s a race for her life, her first love, and her sanity.

    About the Creators

    Shirley Reva Vernick

    Shirley Reva Vernick is an award-winning author and journalist. Her works include The Sky We Shared, Remember Dippy, The Blood Lie, and The Black Butterfly. Her interviews and feature articles have appeared in numerous magazines, national newspapers, and university publications. She also runs a popular storytelling website, storybee.org, which is used in schools, libraries, hospitals, and homes all over the world. Shirley graduated from Cornell University and is an alumna of the Radcliffe Writing Seminars. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.

    Reviews

    • "Aspiring foodies will savor Vernick's ghostly mystery and romance served up between meals at the Black Butterfly Inn. . .things get exciting when the relationship between Penny and George heats up and details of an untimely death unfold."

      - ALAN Picks
    • "This is a unique story about holding on and letting go, about hope and forgiveness, and about ghosts and their stories."

      - Youth Services Book Reviews
    • "The Black Butterfly is a hauntingly delicious mix of ghostly adventures, budding romance, and page-turning intrigue that will have you breathless up until the end."

      - Marley Gibson, bestselling author of the Gust Huntress series
    • "A very charming, witty, and suspenseful young adult novel about a haunted inn in Maine, ghosts, first love, and getting to know oneself. Highly recommended."

      - R. Barri Flowers, author ofJustice Served

    Paperback

  • ISBN 9781935955801
  • Publication Date Jun 24, 2014
  • Trim Size 7 × 5 in
  • Weight 0.4375 lbs
  • Page Count 226
  • Hardcover

  • ISBN 9781935955795
  • Publication Date Jun 24, 2014
  • Trim Size 7 × 5 in
  • Weight 0.9375 lbs
  • Page Count 226
  • Interests

  • Audience Middle Grade
  • BISAC Category 1 JUV / Horror
  • BISAC Category 2 JUV / Family / Marriage & Divorce
  • BISAC Category 3 JUV / Social Themes / Friendship
  • Themes Conflict resolution, Families, Fantasy, Fiction, Identity / Self Esteem / Confidence, Mothers, Mystery / Suspense, Paranormal, Realistic Fiction, Teen Interest, YA interest
  • Reading Levels

  • Age Range Ages 13 - 18
  • Grade Range Grades 8 - 12
  • Guided Reading Z+
  • ATOS Book Level 9
  • Interest Level Grades 8 - 12
  • Lexile Level 690
  • Reading Level Grades 9 - 10
  • ADA Site Compliance-Accessibility Policy