Book Review: SUDDENLY SUPERNATURAL #4: Crossing Over

Book Title: SUDDENLY SUPERNATURAL #4: Crossing Over
Author: Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Pages: 252
Cybil Book # 18
Ages: 8 and up
Author Website: Click Here


Quick little synopsis from the author website

The 4th installment in the hugely popular Suddenly Supernatural series. Medium-in-training Kat Roberts finally seems comfortable healing the living dead. But when her free-spirited mother volunteers to chaperon her 8th grade trip to Old Montreal, ghosts start popping up everywhere, and Kat’s problems become dead serious.

The Story: Kat Roberts and her best friend, cello prodigy Jac, are excited to be visiting Old Montreal on a school trip, but when both of their mothers come along as chaperones, things get complicated. To make matters worse, Kat is suffering in silence with a big crush on one of her classmates. Everytime he’s around, another ghost seems to come out of the woodwork! Are the spirits of Old Montreal going to ruin Kat’s life?

The inspiration: I chaperoned my daughter’s 7th grade French class trip to Old Montreal, and did my best not to embarrass her. I was captivated by all the places we visited, and found many a spot where I suspected we might have a little ghostly company. Only my daughter knows which parts of the book really happened – and she’s not telling!

My Thoughts

To be honest, this is not my type of book. I don't really dig books about girls and crushes and seeing ghosts that are really none too scary. However, I am reading as a Cybils judge and my own personal flavor for books don't really count in this. I have not read the first three books in this series and probably never will, but don't let that cause your judgement of reading this book to change.

As a teacher and someone who sees students in this age group on a daily basis, I could really see the female population of middle school loving this book and series. The whole concept of feeling like you are different(in this case seeing dead people) is something every student deals with. Add to that the mix of parents, falling in love or having a crush, dealing with someone you don't get along with, and having a best friend, this book pretty much captures every 5 minutes of every adolescent person.

Kat sees her first major crush in a whole new way and is trying to find the courage to talk with him and get to know him. We have all been there. Dealing with a best friend that knows just what to say and do to help you. We have been there(I hope). Having a best friend feel neglected after spending too much time or energy on the boy/girl of your dreams(at this moment). We have been there. Learning to deal with a parent during all of these situations. We have been there. Which is why this a perfect book for middle grade girls. Nothing to drastic to have anything to be cautious about, but just enough to hold their interest. Another good book that I would never have read had it not been for the Cybils. Nothing I would read again or any other books, but definitely one that I would recommend to any girl in my building.