By The Fireplace Book Review

By Jacqueline Steponaitis

The Vermont Ghost Guide
By: Joseph A. Citro
Illustrated By: Stephen R. Bissette

   As early as it may seem, stores around Vermont are filling their shelves with Halloween candy and costumes. With the holiday about ghouls and ghosts coming just around the corner, Vermont author Joseph A. Citro comes to mind. With his book The Vermont Ghost Guide, Citro brings a uniquely haunting atmosphere to his readers.

    Aided by illustrator Stephen R. Bissette, Citro writes about 80+ recorded paranormal events reported by supposed eye witnesses. Leaving no corner of Vermont unturned; Citro explores tales ranging from Native American spiritual guardians to benign nurses haunting hospital wings to malevolent spirits stalking the houses of Lake Champlain islands.

    Now if we are honest, many of us share a fascination with the unexplained, the improbable, and the possibility of unexplained events having some connection to ghosts. Every year Hollywood banks millions of dollars on our desire to be scared, be shocked, and be momentarily horrified by films designed to increase the blood pressure and decrease the common sense explanations we have for unusual events. Citro's book is a fun read, but it is a phenomenal read aloud, where the sound effects are your own and your voice is the vehicle for setting the spooky tale. Whatever your reason for delving into the unknown and the supernatural, Citro's tales promise to heighten your senses and give you a good old fashioned scare.

     To the ghost hunters of Vermont, this book serves as an indispensable resource to local paranormal activities in the Green Mountain state. However, to those individuals who are skeptics, Citro's book serves as an intriguing source of stories to tell on All Hallows Eve. From either perspective, The Vermont Ghost Guide, is a must read as the leaves change and Halloween edges closer.