THE GHOST OF POPCORN HILL

Martin and his little brother Peter like the little hilltop cabin where they move after Dad loses his job—until they begin to hear eerie laughter in their room at night. It's the ghost of Tom Buffle, who used to live there: lonely, he's looking for companionship, but the boys, especially Peter, are too scared to oblige. Meanwhile, they've reluctantly settled for nice middle- sized Rosie instead of the huge dog they'd hoped for, and are trying to tame a sheepdog that occasionally wanders by. Turns out the sheepdog's a ghost, too, and, once matched up, both ghosts- -and the relieved boys—are happy. Wright paints the situation with a broad brush, with parents strictly from stock; but the boys' relationship is nicely drawn and their dialogue lively and believable, while Ritz's detailed, realistic full-page drawings are unusually warm and appealing. Likable and accessible: good popular fare. (Fiction. 7-10)