Reading twenty-four nonfictional stories in Haunted Houses, 3rd Ed., Chilling Tales from 24 American Homes by Nancy Roberts, I began to wonder how a spirit decides to stay and earn the place a haunted name. Therefore, while I was reading this book, I started believing it was because they have unfinished business or they were waiting for someone.
    
My favorite story was a Drum For The Dead, because it reminded me of a story my fifth grade history teacher read to me about a twelve-year old boy who loved to play the drums who wanted to fight in the war but he was too young to fight but old enough to be a drummer boy. This story was a lot like that, but in the end, the drummer's life ended by lighting. Due to this conflict, the hill today is known as Little Ghost Drummer because people today hear the drum.
    
My least favorite story was The Romantic Inn by the Sea, because the ghosts aboard a ship crashed into a ledge on June twelfth. Therefore, every year on June twelfth, the crash happens again - and each time someone hears it, they think people are in danger. Therefore, they try to risk their lives to save them even though the people in danger are spirits. Even though no one has gotten hurt yet, I cannot help but worry on some June twelfth in the future someone will lose their life to help save a life that is already dead so they will have died for nothing.
   
I was surprised to find out the spirits in these stories are rather friendly and out of the way expect for a floating dish or a figure every once in a while because I have always thought of ghosts as a scary things that tried to hurt people or scarce them to make them leave and never return.
    
I notice that the narrator always talked from the people's point of view, but I wonder what it would be like to be able to read about from the ghost's point of view. I bet it would shine a light on the mystery as to why spirits stay and haunt places they have been.
    
I recommend this book to anyone that is traveling or staying in a place where someone has died, so you know who you are dealing with and learn how to handle them.

Haunted Houses, 3rd Ed.
Chilling Tales from 24 American Homes
by Nancy Roberts
   
ISBN 10:     0-7627-0320-2
ISBN 13:     978-0-7627-0320-3
Publisher:     Globe Pequot
Imprint:     Globe Pequot