“Tales from the Haunted Mansion”

“Tales from the Haunted Mansion” is a brand-new book series released by Disney Press. A simple read aimed at the pre-teen (ages 9-12) audience, it attempts to tell the stories of the Haunted Mansion’s 999 residents. Only time will tell how many of those stories actually get published.

The stories are all told by the Mansion’s librarian, Amicus Arcane, and peppered with his side commentary. “Volume 1: The Fearsome Foursome” tells the story of (presumably) four ghosts: Willa, Tim, Noah, and Steve. They four children, who have formed their own scary-storyteller’s-club, are invited to the Mansion where they meet the librarian. He tells them that the library house some of the scariest stories ever written . . . four of them being about Willa, Tim, Noah, and Steve.

Reading the first chapter—made available by D23—is indeed a very simple read, and the story moves along quickly but steadily. For an adult, this is a saving grace. The story really has no substance beyond the surface, which is typical for the target audience. But, for pre-teens, it’s enough to hold their wandering attention captive.

Admittedly, the story did get better in the library scene. And, the first chapter did leave off on a cliffhanger that left us wanting a little more. Perhaps we will have to get a full copy and do a proper review. The first chapter PDF is just full of both graphic errors and illustrations that look like quick sketches. It’d be a shame if the interior didn’t stand up to the quality of the book’s exterior. We won’t know unless we get a finished copy.

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