Syosset Public Library TeenSpace Blog

First it was the man caught breaking into the old Ludlow House. Then it was the body found in the grove of trees on the property. The scary signs appearing on the door of the house added to the mystery. Finally, it was the headlines in the local newspaper, The Bee, which led to the hysteria in rural Banesville, New York, the heart of apple country. These headlines recalled ghosts sitings and mysterious occurrences at the house many years ago.
Hildy Biddle lives in Banesville and is a reporter on the high school newspaper, The Core. She’s so brave, she’s the only one the editor would think of putting on the Ludlow House story. She’s not afraid of ghosts. However, she does become afraid of the scare tactics being used to force orchard owners to sell their property after two difficult years. Something is happening in Banesville that she can’t explain. But it does need explaining because it is forcing a change that no one wants.
As Hildy and the other Core reporters dig deeper into the Ludlow House story, they come across other malevolent occurrences. They get threatened. The school paper is forced to close for fear of a lawsuit. Should they continue their investigation. Hildy, the daughter of a well-respected local newspaper reporter who passed away recently, has a heritage to continue. They go underground and start printing an alternative newspaper, The Peel. The question is what will they find?
Joan Bauer has a long string of great books and Peeled is the latest. It’s got great characters, a realistic plot, suspense, romance, and intrigue. The dialogue is believable and the story is fun. Apple lover or not, Peeled is a juicy book.


Ed Goldberg,
Teen Services Librarian