An old, mysterious mansion is bound to have quite the library, likely with an equally mysterious librarian keeping things organized. In this case, New Orleans Square‘s haunted home has a librarian willing to share some of those secrets. Let’s take a peek at some stories, as told by Amicus Arcane.
Source: Haunted Mansion Wiki
PREMISE
Each book in this series tells the story of a different happy haunt (and with 999 inside the mansion, I expect this series will keep growing!). The books look and feel like they belong in the mansion’s library, complete with illustrations and detailed descriptions of certain rooms readers may have visited before. Some books can be purchased individually, or you can order a set like the one pictured above.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
From the publisher:
Little is known about the dearly departed Amicus Arcane, save for his love of books. As the mansion librarian, both in this life and the afterlife, Amicus has delighted in all forms of the written word. However, this librarian’s favorite tales are those of terror and suspense. After all, there is nothing better to ease a restless spirit than a frighteningly good ghost story.
John Esposito met Amicus Arcane on a midnight stroll through New Orleans Square, and he was so haunted by the librarian’s tales that he decided to transcribe them for posterity. John has worked in both film and television, on projects such as R. L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour, Teen Titans, and the webisodes for The Walking Dead, for which he won consecutive Writer’s Guide Awards. John lives in New York with his wife and children, and still visits with Amicus from time to time.
MY REVIEW
These books are perfect for families that have the Haunted Mansion on their “must ride” list during park trips. You won’t learn much about the mansion itself; these are designed to be fictional stories and not any sort of nonfiction about the literal park building. The series is recommended for children ages 8-12, but I think it’s a great read for families to do together – especially those hyping themselves for an upcoming trip.
Warning – since these books tell the stories of ghosts, they do discuss death and haunting.
And a pro tip – read Tales from the Haunted Mansion out loud as family with the right background music! On YouTube, you can find loops of the Haunted Mansion’s queue and background music. They definitely help set the mood as you read Amicus’ stories.