Ophie's Ghosts

Ophie learns she can see ghosts on the night her father dies. He warns Ophie to take her mother and hide, saving their lives, but their house is burned down by the same thugs who killed him for daring to vote. Ophie and her mother flee the South to Pittsburgh, where family takes them in. Although not everyone is thrilled at their arrival.

Ophie goes to work with her mother in a large mansion full of ghosts and secrets. She is determined to get to the bottom of what happened there, even though she must hide that she can see the dead residents of the house. But restless dead are dangerous, and secrets can't stay buried forever.

This is a great ghost story for middle grade readers, striking a perfect balance between supernatural horror and the all-too-real horror of life in 1922 for a young black girl. Ophie is a strong protagonist and readers will enjoy getting to the bottom of the mystery at the heart of the story with her. Young readers will be moved by the injustice she faces and the resilience she shows in the face of it.

Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland

Erica's picks
4th - 6th grade
​tags: character driven, family life, historical fiction, horror, issues fiction, mystery, People of Color, supernatural

---