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The Haunted Lake

 


The Haunted Lake
Written by: P.J. Lynch
Candlewick press, 2020. Picture Book.

 The Haunted Lake by P.J. Lynch is not for the faint of heart or younger children even though it is an illustrated picture book. It's a beautiful haunting story about a village that is flooded with water after the river is dammed. The local people claim that it is a haunted lake. But a local fisherman and his young son Jacob don't listen to the stories. They stay in the village that was once their home where Jacob's mother is buried in the cemetery beneath the water. Jacob and his father catch fish in the waters above the town and then take the fish to market to sell making a small meager living. One night while Jacob is out fishing he disappears lured beneath the waters by the ghosts who live there.

This is a ghost story about undying love with stunning illustrations. The author builds two worlds, the world above the water which is bright and cheerful, and the world below that is eerie and icy cold with the remnants of a lost village hidden beneath the watery waves. This is the perfect book for older readers who are looking for an enticing love story with a little bit of ghostly suspense and a lot of striking, brilliant art work. Check out The Haunted Lake and get ready to meet the ghosts from the village of Spetzia.

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