Betty Ren Wright – författare

Meg''s dreams seem to predict the future—but can she make a better future for herself? "Filled with sensitivity and warmth" (Children''s Book Review Service)."It was crazy to have dreams that came true. If you talked about them, it''d upset the people you loved and make them angry. Meg had learned something bad about herself, an ugly secret." And so she decided to keep the dreams to herself, writing them down in a special notebook. Sometimes her dreams were pleasant, but other times they were disturbing—especially the one about the cave with the blue light. When Meg''s worst dreams begin to come true, she''s convinced they bring bad luck. Why else would her father move out to "find himself" or her best friend desert her for a rowdy crowd of older kids? Meg''s grandmother and a wonderful new neighbor finally help her realize that her "secret window" into the future can bring good luck, if understood properly.

Erin''s new adopted brother has ruined everything—but there are scarier things than having to share the spotlight in this "compelling summertime adventure." (School Library Journal).Erin enjoyed being Erin Lindsay, the much-loved only child of schoolteacher parents. Everything in her life was just he way she wanted it, until nine-year-old Cowper moved in. A musical prodigy, he was adopted by Erin''s parents after his mother and father were killed in a car crash. Suddenly, Erin was no longer the center of attention. Her parents became obsessed with Cowper. Now Erin faces a long, lonely summer away from her friends and familiar surroundings. The Lindsays are renting an apartment in Milwaukee so Cowper can take piano lessons at the conservatory. Erin is crazed with boredom, until she meets senior citizen and medium Molly Panca . . . and experiences the scariest night of her life.

A vengeful ghost haunts a small town—until two cousins confront her—in this "fast-paced, entertaining" story (School Library Journal).While thirteen-year-old Rachel dreams of becoming Pike River''s Sunbonnet Queen, her cousin Charlie Hocking dreams of leaving. But both dreams are threatened by the presence of a fierce old lady who lives just outside of town. At first Charlie is more puzzled than frightened by the fact that the woman looks younger each time he sees her. But gradually, he realizes she''s a phantom, a mad ghost who is eerily involved with the Sunbonnet Queen contest. When she threatens Rachel, Charlie decides to stay in Pike River, for a while at least. It''s a wise decision, for with the help of an unexpected ally he saves Rachel''s life on a Fourth of July morning the Hockings will never forget.

A girl''s scary dream may come true in this "fast moving" story starring "a likable and believable heroine" (School Library Journal).Meg''s nightmare about a thin, gray-haired man who beckons her to follow him through a dark doorway will no doubt come true. That''s the way it is with all of her "real" dreams, the ones that her grandmother calls "a secret window into the future." Meg suspects that her dream is about sixteen-year-old Caleb Larsen''s father, who died in a car crash after allegedly stealing $50,000 from a local bank. Could Mr. Larsen be trying to reach Caleb and his mother through Meg''s dreams? Is he trying to reveal the truth about what happened? As Meg''s nightmare begins to come true, she learns to cope with her own past as well as Caleb''s, and to see the present in a different, more positive light.

As two brothers try to reunite the lonely ghosts of a farmer and a sheepdog, "readers will be cheering them on every step of the way" (Publishers Weekly).In this short-chapter winner of the IRA Children''s Choices, Peter and Martin enjoy living atop Popcorn Hill, except for two things: They long for a big dog and their cabin is haunted by a lonely ghost. They do get a frisky mutt named Rosie, but she''s not as big or as appealing as the stray sheepdog that has been roaming around outside. When the boys learn the sheepdog is a ghost, however, they devise a plan for bringing the two ghosts together. In the process, they learn to appreciate their real pet, Rosie.