Young adult Willamette Valley ghost book
September 10, 2016 10:57 AM Subscribe
When I was a kid, I read this great young-adult book that had a ghost story set in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Does anyone else remember this?
A girl, perhaps one who'd just moved to town and had dark hair, is taken back in time or shown a very realistic flashback by a ghost, possibly around the time of a disastrous earthquake in the 1900s in the Willamette Valley. A computer might have been involved—the ghost may have been able to influence it, or the girl's family may have owned a computer store, or both. I remember there possibly being some play on Apple, like the ghost didn't know what Apples were but did know the fruit, even though they could influence the computer.
There definitely was a blue glass bead, a trade bead, that either the girl found and it triggered all of this, or that she was left with when it was all over. And I think it's possible that she went to look for the ghost girl's house later and no one knew about the family, but then she found the bead and knew it had all been real, or something like that. I feel like the girl also saw a steamboat, a paddle wheeler, and at first thought it must be for show, but then realized she was in the past.
This is all vague and possibly contradictory, I know, and it may be mixed up with other books I read at the time, because I read all the ghost stories I could get my hands on at the library. But usually I've been able to find books I remember with some combination of unique search terms, and this one has eluded me, despite some pretty specific info. I figured I'd throw it out there and see if it rings a bell for anyone else. Thanks!
A girl, perhaps one who'd just moved to town and had dark hair, is taken back in time or shown a very realistic flashback by a ghost, possibly around the time of a disastrous earthquake in the 1900s in the Willamette Valley. A computer might have been involved—the ghost may have been able to influence it, or the girl's family may have owned a computer store, or both. I remember there possibly being some play on Apple, like the ghost didn't know what Apples were but did know the fruit, even though they could influence the computer.
There definitely was a blue glass bead, a trade bead, that either the girl found and it triggered all of this, or that she was left with when it was all over. And I think it's possible that she went to look for the ghost girl's house later and no one knew about the family, but then she found the bead and knew it had all been real, or something like that. I feel like the girl also saw a steamboat, a paddle wheeler, and at first thought it must be for show, but then realized she was in the past.
This is all vague and possibly contradictory, I know, and it may be mixed up with other books I read at the time, because I read all the ghost stories I could get my hands on at the library. But usually I've been able to find books I remember with some combination of unique search terms, and this one has eluded me, despite some pretty specific info. I figured I'd throw it out there and see if it rings a bell for anyone else. Thanks!
Best answer: The Ghost Inside the Monitor by Margaret Jean Anderson?
posted by davidjmcgee at 11:51 PM on September 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by davidjmcgee at 11:51 PM on September 10, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: (google search for [oregon "time travel" ghost book -trail] led to this page. thanks, samsters and admin!)
posted by davidjmcgee at 11:54 PM on September 10, 2016
posted by davidjmcgee at 11:54 PM on September 10, 2016
Response by poster: You found it! Thank you! I've already ordered a copy. Awesome!!
posted by limeonaire at 8:28 PM on September 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by limeonaire at 8:28 PM on September 14, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Yes, it did. It's really a great book!
posted by limeonaire at 12:51 PM on April 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by limeonaire at 12:51 PM on April 27, 2017 [1 favorite]
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posted by limeonaire at 10:58 AM on September 10, 2016