I have loved ghost stories ever since I was a little girl. When I saw this book filled with Christmas related spooky stories, I just had to read it. I'm glad I did!

I was familiar with some of the stories (the Bell Witch, The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, Anne Boleyn's ghost), but some were completely new to me (the sinking of the Christmas tree ship, Epworth Rectory, the death coach). The 30 tales are varied. Some are from modern times, others from centuries ago. The book includes tales from all over the world - Ireland, Canada, the United States, Germany, France, England, Scandinavia, and other countries. All are well-written and spooky, but not too scary. A middle grade age child should be able to read this book without being overly frightened. I also enjoyed the introduction where Mary Beth Crain tells a supernatural tale of her own. And the first chapter explains the ghostly history of the holiday season. Some of the stories are frightening, but some are also tales of blessings and unexplained miracles that occurred at Christmastime.

At 195 pages, this book is a quick read. It was perfect entertainment for me on a cold, rainy winter afternoon! The cover art is great!

Mary Beth Crain is also the author of several other books including Haunted U.S. Battlefields, Haunted Pet Stories, and a memoir, A Widow, A Chihuahua, and Harry Truman. I will definitely read more of her work. This book was a fun, spooky read!

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Short true stories about ghosts that show up around Christmas. While these stories are interesting, it was not a 'can't put down' book. If you can get past the history of Christmas celebrated more like Halloween, the book does get better. ( )