The Secret of Whispering Springs #1

The Secret of Whispering Springs

Author: Jerri Garretson

Number of Chapters: 29 

Number of Pages:  204 

Number of Pages Read All Together: 25/204 

This book is about the Wade family moving into an old stone mansion located on Kansas Ranch, built a long time ago. No one lived in the mansion for about five years and Cassie, the main character and her little brother felt like the house was haunted and there was something strange in that house. When Cassie and her brother checked the house, cob webs and dusts were everywhere along with antique furniture. The door in the house slammed on their faces and Cassie saw an old man through the window from outside. She also saw groceries, table, chair, bedroll and supplies in the barn; which may be the belongings of the old man but she wasn't sure. She didn't really like the idea of moving because of the many rumors she heard from people.

This is the part when Cassie saw the old man through the attic window while her parents were in the house. I chose this scene because they might discover the mysteries of the old man later on and maybe the man had something to do with the things in the barn and the house. I am very excited to see what will happen later on.

What I Learned So Far

• Cassie Wade is 14 years old
• There is four people in her family, her parents, Cassie, and little brother Ben who loves electronics.
• Cassie and Ben didn't really like the house; they were unsure
• Their parents liked the house; had no problem with it
• A rancher named Gwynne built the stone mansion in 1882
• Cassie has a best friend named Jordan Dexter, her grandmother tells a lot of stories about the 'haunted' house
• Cassie and Jordan have been best friends for about three years 
• Cassie loves art (because she wanted her own art studio in the new house)

 Shambles: A state of total disorder. 

"That sounded wonderful, even if the beautiful old place was a shambles." (pg. 18, chapter 3) 

Squatter: A person who settles on a land or an uninhabited building without payment or rent.   

"Cassie, this is going to be our home. If there's a problem with  some squatter who has moved into the barn, we'll take care of it." (pg. 14, chapter 2)