The Ghost Under Third Base by Fran Orenstein

We all know a kid like Willie. Smarter than all of the other kids, and due to this he has trouble making friends. Perhaps other students are threatened by him. After all, he is 2 years younger than all of them, and still surpasses most of them when it comes to intelligence. He even has a hard time at home due to his brother and sister and their constant razzing. The only place he can go to escape and feel comfortable is an abandonded cellar just next to his property.

One day, just after he has come out of the cellar and is laying in the grass, he meets Huby. Huby seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but they develop a wonderful friendship, and Huby helps Willie gain the confidence he so desperately needs. Having this new confidence even gains him a few friends at school. But there is something not quite right about Huby. Like the fact that he seems to just disappear and appear out of thin air. And the fact that his parents have yet to see him.

The real problem, though, is that something is in the cellar. Not something menacing, just the spirit of a boy who died tragically years earlier. So, when Willie proposes the field where the cellar is located be turned into a baseball field, they need to make sure that "Daniel" finds his way home.

This book was totally engaging and even though it is geared towards tweens, it held my interest the whole way through. I am thankful that I have books like this to review, as they really open my eyes as to the fantastic stories available for the younger crowd. There were only a few authors like this when I was growing up.Hopefully this is not the last we hear from Fran Orenstein!

Questions for the author:

Any chance of a sequel to this book?
A first draft of the sequel, at the request of the publisher, is complete. This will be the second in a Huby series, as he is the continuing character. This next book, called The Goblin Murder Mystery, is a Halloween based story which will come out next fall, in time for, guess what, Halloween (also my birthday).

In March, the next book to be published, will be the first in a fantasy series. It is called The Book of Mysteries, The Wizard of Balalac. It's about 2 boys in New York City who are sent to a mysterious, disappearing bookstore to find The Book of Mysteries. The Wizard of Balalac will be first, then next year it will be followed by The Gargoyles of Blackthorne (working title).

What are you currently working on?
I am currently doing a final draft read through on The Fat Girls From Outer Space, expected out by July. It is a contemporary Tween story of pre-teen obesity and the intolerant and cruel culture we live in. Don't worry, though, the girls get their revenge in the end and come out shining stars.

What is your favorite book, or character?
My favorite Tween book is Holes by L. Sachar. My favorite Tween characters are Harry Potter and the gang, expecially Hermione, who reminds me of me.