The Old Willis Place
Diana and her little brother Georgie have been living in the woods behind the old Willis place, a decaying Victorian mansion, for what already seems like forever. They aren’t allowed to leave the property or show themselves to anyone. But when a new caretaker comes to live there with his young daughter, Lissa, Diana is tempted to break the mysterious rules they live by and reveal herself so she can finally have a friend. Somehow, Diana must get Lissa’s help if she and Georgie ever hope to release themselves from the secret that has bound them to the old Willis place for so long. Mary Downing Hahn has written a chilling ghost story in the tradition of her most successful spine-tingling novels. The intriguing characters, frightening secrets, and plot twists will delight her many fans.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars A Satisfying Ghost Story
In The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story (Clarion, 2004), twelve-year-old Diana and eight-year-old Georgie Eldridge have been roaming the grounds of Oak Hill Manor ever since “the bad thing happened.” For years, the siblings have lived a relatively tranquil existence in the woods and fields surrounding the Old Willis Place, trying not to think about the “bad thing” in their past or the scary thing that lives in the house on the hill. Then a new caretaker arrives with his twelve-year-old daughter, Lissa, and everything changes. Breaking the rules that govern the siblings’ world, Diana befriends the young girl and unwittingly sets in motion a series of events that will upset their carefree existence.
Mary Downing Hahn has authored a number of ghost stories. By telling The Old Willis Place from a different perspective, Hahn provides a spin on the traditional ghost story without losing its suspense. Diana and Georgie’s backstory, as well as the unknown dangers that lie before them, all unfold gradually for the reader. In the end, all questions are answered, making for a satisfying ghost story.
4 Stars Diana,Georgie,Lissa and Miss Lillian
Diana and her little brother Georgie live on a farm.Not in a nice warm cozy house with there parents,in a shed,in the woods,completly alone!
But they use to live in a nice warm cozy house with there parents,but then the bad thing happened!So now they survive by them selfs.
Some parts of this story are very spinechilling,other parts are sad,
and the entire story is wonderful!
5 Stars Kaelyn from Lake Tapps says creepy but cool!!
“They’re coming, they’re coming”! My brother, Georgie, ran up the shady driveway, almost to excited to speak. Those are only some of the words in a book called The Old Willis Place!
The Old Willis Place is a thrilling and sad ghost story. The book is about two young kids, a boy and a girl. They are a brother and sister living in the woods. Diana, 12, and her little brother Georgie, age 7, have to follow these so called rules they heard one day. “Don’t let anyone see you, don’t go near the Old Willis Place and don’t go beyond the gate”. But Diana starts breaking the rules when a new caretaker and his daughter, Lissa, move in. But little do they know that the ghost of Miss Lilian, who started this whole story with the bad thing, was waiting for them.
The part I liked best was when Macduff, Lissa’s dog, tackled Georgie to the ground and barked and slobbered! Georgie got so got so mad at Diana! Georgie had feathers in his hair and mud on his cheeks. He looked liked a savage or Indian. He acted as if he had never seen a real dog before!!!! But he had the right to say the things to Diana because it was true. She was a……
I liked that part because it has a controversial between Diana and Georgie. Diana broke the rules but in the end so did Georgie. Georgie never breaks the rules. Absolutely never.
A part of the book that made me upset was when Lissa stole the key from her dad’s key ring. Diana was with her and wanted her to stop. The key was to The Old Willis Place, which Diana was not allowed to go near. Lissa finally convinces Diana to go in, just to see. But Diana already knew what was inside. More than Lissa ever would. But what Lissa did after that was unforgivable.
I would like the book to become a movie because I would love to see what Diana and Georgie would look like in real life. I would really want it to follow the books main parts in the story. Other wise I wouldn’t go see the movie. For actors, I would be Diana and Tom Cruise would be Mr. Morrison. But for the other characters I don’t know.
I highly recommend this book for any type of reader. This book has excitement, scare and anxiety. You don’t know what’s going to happen next!!! What is the bad thing? What happens to Diana and Georgie? Will Diana break the rules just to have a friend???? Read the book and find out!!!
5 Stars Haunting and ’soul’ful
Diana is so tempted by the prospect of having the new caretaker’s daughter, Lissa, as a friend that she’s willing to break the rules that have guided the lives of her and her brother Georgie for so many years. Diana and Georgie have done everything they can to protect each other and stay together. It’s interesting to see what happens when another child comes into the mix and how the story resolves itself.
Diana and Georgie are characters are not only haunted by the bad thing, they will haunt you for a long time to come. This is a beautiful look at the tragedy of human life and the importance of friendship and forgiveness in life.
I’m not usually a big fan of `ghost’ stories but I read this through in one sitting. It’s fantastically written, enchanting and fast-paced. I highly recommend it for middle school age and above who like a good story and who have the constitution for some scary stuff.
5 Stars Michigan Mom
My 4th grader got this book to read this summer. He hasn’t read it yet so I picked it up this morning, read it off and on all day, and just finished it. It’s a fine book for all ages.
More than just another ghost story, it is a tale of forgiveness. The reader is left with an uplifted feeling at the end of the story. Halfway through the story, I found myself wondering if Georgie and Diana were ghosts (as you expect from the cover) or alive children who were abandoned by their parents or runaways.
I think my son who love this book. If he could only put down the DS or turn off the computer long enough to crack a book open, he would probably have written this review himself.
