Haint Misbehavin’ by Maureen Hardegree

Haint Misbehavin’

By Maureen Hardegree

http://www.maureenhardegree.com/

Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (June 6, 2010)

ISBN-10: 1935661930

ISBN-13: 978-1935661931

Genre: Young Adult

Reading Level: Ages 9 – 12

Heather Tildy wants to be normal.  Or at least be considered normal by her peers.  In order to achieve this she plans to use the summer before her freshman year of high school to try to get her older sister to like her.  While she’s at it, it couldn’t hurt to gain the attention of the hunky lifeguard at the town pool and win the 50 downloads for her iPod that her father is offering to whichever daughter has the highest Japanese beetle body count after removing them from his prize grapevines.  A simple enough plan.  What could possibly go wrong?

How about her sudden ability to communicate with ghosts?

Heather has been impatiently waiting for her induction into “womanhood” and being able to use this as a bonding experience with her sister, but with her period comes her ability to communicate with ghosts.  This could be a cool thing except that the ten year old ghost who’s latched onto her is ruining her plans.  When the bored little girl decides to use Heather’s body to cause a little mischief, everything starts falling apart.  Her sister’s friends are threatening to unfriend her because of Heather’s weirdness; the hunky lifeguard has finally noticed her but not in the way she wanted him to; and all the crazy antics Amy makes her do has left her grounded for most of the summer.

So, Heather devises a plan to help Amy move on to the other side.  Easier said than done, especially when the ghost in questions doesn’t want to move on.

~~~~~

This book is laugh-out-loud funny.  Maureen Hardegree did an amazing job of capturing the personalities to match the ages for all of her Haint Misbehavin’ characters; their individual quirks, the whiney teens, the mischievous ten year old, the overly concerned parents, even the irritating skin disorder that takes on a personality of its own.  I found myself scratching right along with Heather and cringing when she tangles with a patch of poison ivy.

Haint Misbehavin’ reminded me a lot of my favorite Judy Blume books.   Readers who enjoy “girl coming of age” stories, will love reading about Heather and how she deals with this unexpected gift.  I was thrilled when I read that Ms. Hardegree had expanded Heather’s world into a series.  I’m now anxiously waiting for the next Ghost Handler book to be released.

If there is one downside to this book it would be my new addiction to Lip Smackers lip gloss.  As soon as I read Heather’s favorite flavor was Marshmallow, I had to go out and buy my own tube.  I now have a collection of 8 different flavors and want more.  Thanks Ms. Hardegree!!!

(Note – - Click on the Lip Smackers link, scroll to the bottom, and see their 5 Star review for Haint Misbehavin’.)

Book Trailer