A World Full of Ghosts

Meet skeleton spirits in Alaska -- the Dancing Ahkiyyini -- and gliding ghosts overseas, like Japan's Legless Yurei. Witness groups of ghosts at Mexico's Day of the Dead and the solitary Ibambo on their own in Africa. Of course, each ghost has its own personality. Some like to stay up all night partying. Others, it is said, emerge from the spilled blood of murdered souls. Others still may tidy up your house at night -- but only if they like you. Where can such spooks be found? A World Full of Ghosts takes you around the world to find out.Each fun and frightening profile captures the enduring allure of the supernatural in cultures far and near. Interspersed throughout are first-person accounts of spectral sightings. Meanwhile, a scariness scale rates each tale for younger readers.

Featuring 25 phantoms, a not-too-scary storytelling style and suitably luminous -- and spooky -- artwork, A World Full of Ghosts is a glimpse into a world of imagination.

Charis Cotter is an award-winning author of books for adults and young readers, including Kids Who Rule and Wonder Kids. She lives in Toronto and Newfoundland.

Marc Mongeau has illustrated more than 25 books for children. His work also appears in magazines and newspapers, such as Newsweek and the New York Times. He lives in Bedford, Quebec.