The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story

The Old Willis Place

• Genre: Fiction; middle grade horror
• Originally Published: 2004
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 630L; grades 4-7
• Structure/Length: 17 chapters; approximately 199 pages; approximately 4 hours, 46 minutes on audio
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The story revolves around two siblings, Diana and Georgie, who live in the woods near the Old Willis Place. The central conflict involves the mysterious rules they must follow and their interactions with a new caretaker's daughter, Lissa. As Diana becomes friends with Lissa, dark secrets about the siblings’ past and the haunting nature of the Old Willis Place are revealed.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Death of parents; accidental death of children; child abuse; ghosts and haunting; themes of loneliness and isolation; suspense and eerie atmosphere

Mary Downing Hahn, Author

• Bio: Born 1937; American author known for her young adult and children's novels; often blends elements of mystery and the supernatural; recognized for her ability to craft engaging and suspenseful stories that captivate young readers; a prominent figure in children's horror and historical fiction
• Other Works: Wait Till Helen Comes (1986); The Doll in the Garden (1989); Deep and Dark and Dangerous (2007); Took: A Ghost Story (2015)
• Awards: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (2006); William Allen White Children's Book Award (2006)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Importance of Friendship
• Sibling Loyalty
• Forgiveness and Making Peace With the Past

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Explore background information on ghost stories in socio-cultural and literary contexts to increase readers’ engagement with and understanding of The Old Willis Place.
• Read/study paired texts and other brief resources to deepen their understanding of themes related to The Importance of Friendship, Sibling Loyalty, and Forgiveness and Making Peace With the Past.
• Demonstrate their understanding of Diana’s and Georgie’s differing characterizations by creating a ghost handbook that considers both of their perspectives.
• Analyze the significance of various elements of the text, such as perspective, point-of-view, setting, atmosphere, characterization, plot detail, and language, and construct essay responses about secrets, the siblings’ relationship, and other topics.