Matt Hamilton is more interested in learning about history, especially that of his new residence, Timber City, than he is in meeting other 11-year-olds who live there. After talking to the town librarian and reading Timber City, Phoenix of the Northwest, Matt learns about Rover, the beloved dog that belonged to the long-dead foreman at the Rathburn lumber mill, along with many local legends about the wealthy Rathburn family. He has never been able to have a dog because of his sister’s allergies, so he clearly remembers the Rover look-alike who rescued him from the woods when he got lost his first time exploring Rathburn Park. Snyder (Spyhole Secrets, 2001, etc.) does a credible job setting the stage for the mysterious events that keep Matt wondering if that dog is Rover’s ghost. Then there’s the girl dressed in old-fashioned clothes whom he repeatedly meets near the old Rathburn palace; is she the ghost of one of the children who grew up there? Plenty of clues prepare readers for reality: the girl playing dress-up is really the granddaughter of the nurse who takes care of the only surviving Rathburn. And the dog? In a perhaps too-neat wrap-up, Matt’s sister is cured of her allergies and gets a puppy that is likely a descendant of Rover’s and, in certain light, looks something like him. A satisfying read for those who like some character development along with their not-too-scary ghost stories. (Fiction. 9-12)
