Araminta Spook Series by Angie Sage, Jimmy Pickering

Araminta Spookie lives in a wonderful old haunted house, but her crabby aunt Tabby wants to move. Aunt Tabby is determined to sell their house—Araminta "has" to stop her!With the help of a haunted suit of armor named Sir Horace, a ghost named Edmund, and a lot of imagination, Araminta hatches a plot for an Awful Ambush that is so ghoulish, it just might work!

Sir Horace is about to turn five hundred years old! Araminta and Wanda need to find him the perfect gift. Araminta finds an ancient sword in a grotto hidden under her haunted house and it should be a cinch to get it. But she wasn't planning on the nasty surprise of a portcullis-trap and a rising tide in the grotto. Will Araminta and Wanda make it to Sir Horace's birthday party?

When something's amiss in Spookie House, there's usually only one person to blame--Araminta. But this time she had nothing to do with the disappearance of Barry Wizzard's frogs, and she is determined to find them. Of course, it's not going to be that easy, especially when dealing with a crazy character named Old Morris, a dangerous shark, and a demanding aquarium show audience. Can Araminta find the frogs and steal the show?

Araminta thinks something horrible is hiding in the deep, hidden passages of Spookie House--could it be a werewolf? Add to that the arrival of Uncle Drac's creepy nephew, Max, and Araminta knows things will never be the same. Max is Wanda's new best friend, and Araminta finds him annoying. She comes up with a plan to figure out what Max is up to--and also to capture the werewolf. But will it work?

Araminta Spookie 5: Ghostsitters Chapter One Slugs My uncle Drac says some funny things. Last week he said, "There is always a slug in the lettuce sandwich of life, Minty." I had to think for a while until I understood what he meant. You see, Uncle Drac loves lettuce sandwiches, but even he does not like slugs... moreAraminta Spookie 5: Ghostsitters Chapter One Slugs My uncle Drac says some funny things. Last week he said, "There is always a slug in the lettuce sandwich of life, Minty." I had to think for a while until I understood what he meant. You see, Uncle Drac loves lettuce sandwiches, but even he does not like slugs. I figured he meant that just when you are enjoying something—like eating your favorite kind of sandwich—something yucky always happens (like finding a slug in it) to stop you from enjoying it. Sometimes Uncle Drac is a little bit gloomy, so I do not always take notice of what he says—but last week I could see exactly what he meant. I kept thinking really good things were happening and then they turned out to have a great big fat slug in them. Last Monday was the beginning of spring break, which Wanda and I had been looking forward to. And in two days' time it was going to be my birthday, which I was really looking forward to—although I am not sure if Wanda was. Wanda is Wanda Wizzard, and she lives with me in Spookie House. She didn't always live here, but it is much more fun since Wanda, her mom, Brenda, and her dad, Barry, moved in. Of course there is also my uncle Drac, who can be quite fun sometimes too, and then there is my aunt Tabby, who is never fun—even though she thinks she is. Wanda and I were eating our breakfast in the third-kitchen-on-the-left-just-past-the-boiler-room when Aunt Tabby—who was stirring the oatmeal and opening her mail at the same time—let out an excited shriek. Wanda and I both nearly jumped off our chairs, as Aunt Tabby does notusually shriek (unless Uncle Drac drops a wardrobe on her foot). In fact Aunt Tabby was so excited that she dropped the rest of the mail in the oatmeal and all the ink ran off the envelopes and turned it blue, so we were allowed to have Brenda's Choco-Drop Krackles for breakfast instead. Aunt Tabby threw the letter on the table and squeaked, "I've won!" "Won what, Aunt Tabby?" I asked. "The competition!" said Aunt Tabby. I was surprised, as it is Wanda's mother, Brenda, who enters tons of competitions, not Aunt Tabby. "Drac will love this," said Aunt Tabby. Although this did not exactly answer my question, it did narrow the field, as Uncle Drac does not like many things. Basically he likes bats, the dark, and sleeping, although not necessarily in that order. "Have you won a new sleeping bag?" I asked. "No, Araminta," said Aunt Tabby. "It's much better than that." "Two new sleeping bags?" said Wanda, who does not have a great imagination. "Or three new sleeping bags or maybe even four—" "No, Wanda," said Aunt Tabby very patiently. "So what have you won?" I asked very impatiently. Aunt Tabby gave me her wouldn't-you-like-to-know look. "Tell us, Aunt Tabby—please," said Wanda, who is very nosy and can't stand not knowing things. "Here you are," said Aunt Tabby, handing Wanda the letter. "Good reading practice for you, Wanda." I was a bit annoyed that Aunt Tabby had given the letter to Wanda, as she takes forever to read anything and it meant that I had to look over Wanda's shoulder to read it. "Stop breathing down my neck, Araminta," moaned Wanda. "I'm not breathing, I'm reading," I told her. "You are breathing," said Wanda. "You are always breathing, Araminta. It is very annoying." "Well, I am so sorry, Wanda. I will try not to in the future." "Araminta, Wanda," said Aunt Tabby, giving us one of her looks. "Stop it." Araminta Spookie 5: Ghostsitters . Copyright by Angie Sage. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold. less

When Araminta throws cold water over her best friend, Wanda, to disperse a crowd of panicked bats, it s decided Araminta has been helpful one too many times, and she is packed off to boarding school. On arrival, Araminta is surprised to discover that Gargoyle Hall makes her home, Spook House, seems positively cosy. Strange moans and clanks echo down the corridors and the two head girls are equally creepy... moreWhen Araminta throws cold water over her best friend, Wanda, to disperse a crowd of panicked bats, it s decided Araminta has been helpful one too many times, and she is packed off to boarding school. On arrival, Araminta is surprised to discover that Gargoyle Hall makes her home, Spook House, seems positively cosy. Strange moans and clanks echo down the corridors and the two head girls are equally creepy. Most of the other pupils have been scared away, but Araminta senses that something or someone is behind the menace.With the help of best friend Wanda and Uncle Drac s prize bat, she is going to do something about it!" less

When Araminta and her best friend Wanda go on a school trip to Skeleton Island, they don't expect to get stranded there overnight. And they certainly don't expect the island to be haunted by ghostly skeletons of pirates! It certainly makes for a spooky sleepover. Luckily these ghoulish pirates just want someone to help them find their lost treasure, then they'll happily set sail on their ghost ship once more... moreWhen Araminta and her best friend Wanda go on a school trip to Skeleton Island, they don't expect to get stranded there overnight. And they certainly don't expect the island to be haunted by ghostly skeletons of pirates! It certainly makes for a spooky sleepover. Luckily these ghoulish pirates just want someone to help them find their lost treasure, then they'll happily set sail on their ghost ship once more. But someone else wants the treasure for themselves – can Araminta find what is lurking in the depths before it's too late? less