Imagine working full-time and earning a salary even before your 16^th birthday. In The Screaming Staircase, Book 1 of the Lockwood & Co. series by Jonathan Stroud, most children need to work. Why? Because of “the Problem.”  In London, ghosts have become an all too familiar sight, and anyone who is touched by one endures deadly ghostlock. Since adults can’t see ghosts; only children and teens can be agents, and daily use of lavender, iron, and salt to ward off ghostly “visitors” is the new normal. Without any adults in the new agency, Lockwood & Co. who is run by Anthony Lockwood and his two associates, Lucy and George, who are agents trained in the use of rapiers (swords) and are hired to clear areas of ghosts while solving mysteries in the process. Join them on their next case as they go down into the dark on The Screaming Staircase. Beware:  this new series is only for those who like spooky thrills and chills with a touch of mystery.

Book reviewed by Amy M., Youth Services Assistant