I’m going to be honest, I’ve had a hard time getting through my books in a timely manner lately. Everything has been so busy for the past 2-3 weeks between sub jobs, appointments, and countless other tasks that finding time to work through my TBR list has been a challenge. I’m still working through the book I wanted to review yesterday – a really good one that I’m enjoying – but something about sitting down with my usual lengthier reads has felt daunting.

So today, I decided to pivot and do something different.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a children’s book, and I thought: what better kind of self-care at the end of a busy week than revisiting a childhood favorite that takes just an hour to read?

Growing up, my favorite books were always ghost stories, and many of the best ones for children were written by Mary Downing Hahn. I remember blowing through her titles for personal choice summer reading assignments in late elementary school. In fact, I have a vivid memory of sitting in the car on a summer evening with a stack of books I couldn’t wait to dive into, picking one up to start on the ride home while my mom drove. The book I chose then was the same one I picked up an old copy of today: Hahn’s 1989 novel The Doll in the Garden.

Ten-year-old Ashley and her mom move out of Baltimore after her dad’s death from cancer and begin renting the top floor of a house from the cranky Miss Cooper. Miss Cooper hates children – not just Ashley, but also seven-year-old Kristi, who lives next door. Despite being warned repeatedly not to, the girls secretly venture into the garden behind the house, where they uncover a buried box containing an antique doll and a mysterious note written seventy years earlier. Soon, ghostly sounds begin to drift from the garden at night, and the girls find themselves on a mission to return the doll to its rightful owner… one who may still be searching for it from beyond the grave.

Clocking in at just 128 pages, this is the perfect length for a quick nostalgic read on a Friday afternoon when you want to read something but feel too worn out to dive into a heavier story. It’s not overly creepy, making it a great introduction to ghost stories for young readers, and I plan on passing this one along to my niece because I know it’s right up her alley.

I know some people think children’s books shouldn’t include darker themes, but having taught fourth grade before, I’ve seen firsthand the natural curiosity that exists around that age. I’d much rather see a child exploring something like this than jumping straight into Stephen King. Ultimately, this felt less like a traditional ghost story and more like a story about redemption, friendship, and girlhood.

I do plan on getting back to the book I originally intended to review this week, but this was a nice little break to take a small trip down memory lane and reminisce on the stories my nine-year-old self couldn’t put down. If you were a fan of Hahn growing up, or if you have a tween you’re trying to gently nudge toward reading, I definitely recommend picking this one up through my link!