The Old Willis Place facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Mary Downing Hahn |
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| Original title | The Old Willis Place : A Ghost Story |
| Cover artist | Ericka O'Rourke |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Horror/Ghost Story/Mystery |
| Publisher | Clarion Books |
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Publication date
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20 September 2004 |
| Media type | Paperback, Hardcover |
The Old Willis Place: A Ghost Story is a thrilling children's novel written by Mary Downing Hahn. It was first published in 2004. This book is a popular choice and can be found in many libraries.
Contents
The Mysterious Old Willis Place
Diana and her younger brother Georgie live in the woods. Their home is near a big old house called Oak Hill Manor. People in the area call it the Old Willis Place. This is because a strict old woman named Lilian Willis used to live there.
Diana and Georgie have some very important rules. They must never leave the property. They also cannot talk to anyone or let anyone see them. The county often sends people to take care of the property. These caretakers live in a small home nearby. But Diana and Georgie always play tricks. They scare the caretakers away.
A New Friend Arrives
One day, a new caretaker arrives. He has a daughter named Lissa. Lissa is a lonely girl who loves to imagine things. Her mother passed away when Lissa was five. Diana feels excited. She dreams of becoming friends with Lissa. Even though their rules say no, Diana really wants a friend.
Soon after Lissa arrives, she starts exploring. She almost goes inside the old house. But Diana steps out of the woods to stop her. Diana looks very dirty and has torn clothes. Lissa thinks Diana is a monster and runs away quickly.
Unlocking a Secret
Diana feels sad that she scared Lissa. She writes a note to apologize. She asks Lissa if they can be friends. Lissa tells Diana her plan. She wants to sneak into the old house. She will explore it while her dad is away. Lissa invites Diana to come along.
Diana is worried. Going into the house is against their rules. But she wants Lissa as a friend so badly. So, she agrees to go. The next day, Diana and Lissa enter the Old Willis Place. Lissa feels like she must see a special room. It is a locked parlor where Lilian Willis died.
Diana tries to stop her. But Lissa opens the parlor door. When she does, Miss Lilian's angry spirit is set free.
The Truth About Diana and Georgie
Diana and Georgie know Miss Lilian will come after them. They finally tell Lissa their big secret. They are ghosts too! This happened sixty years ago. Miss Lilian caught them playing in her cellar. She locked them in there as a punishment. She planned to let them out later that day. Their parents were supposed to come home.
But before she could, Miss Lilian had a stroke. She was taken to the hospital. This left the children trapped. Miss Lilian could not speak because of the stroke. She could not tell anyone what she had done. Weeks passed before she got better. By then, the children had passed away. Miss Lilian hid their bodies in the cellar. She pretended not to know what happened to them.
For many years, the children's ghosts bothered Miss Lilian. They tormented her. Then she also passed away. She became a ghost too. Now, she chased and tormented the children who once bothered her. The children managed to trap her ghost in the parlor. They made strict rules. These rules were to keep her from ever being freed again.
Finding Peace
Lissa tells her father to search the cellar. He finds Diana and Georgie's bodies there. Finally, the children are given proper burials. Diana and Georgie wonder what will happen to them now. Soon, Miss Lilian finds them. She wants to punish them for telling her secret.
Diana realizes something important. All of them are stuck at the Old Willis Place. They are held there by the strong feelings of anger they have. These feelings are about things that happened long ago. Diana understands that if they cannot forgive each other, none of them will ever leave.
The children forgive Miss Lilian for leaving them to pass away. They also say sorry for bothering her in her last years. Miss Lilian, in turn, says she is sorry for her part in the children's passing. A beautiful silver light appears. From it, the ghosts of the children's parents arrive. They come to take them to the afterlife. The children's forgiveness allows Miss Lilian to join them there too.
Lissa watches everything in secret. She feels happy for her friends. She finds comfort in thinking that her own mother is also in that beautiful light. Lissa believes her mother is waiting to be reunited with her someday.
Characters in the Story
- Diana - The main character, a 12-year-old ghost girl.
- Georgie - Diana's younger brother, an 8-year-old ghost boy.
- Lilian Willis - The main problem-maker, a ghost lady.
- Lissa - Diana's friend, a 12-year-old normal girl.
- MacDuff - Lissa's dog.
- Nero - Georgie's cat.
- Mr. Morrison (Lissa's dad) - Also called the Heron Man because he is very thin.
