Site Overlay

Wait Till Helen Comes

By Mary Downing Hahn
Wait Till Helen Comes Beware of HelenHeather is such a whiny little brat Always getting Michael and me into trouble But since our mother married her father we re stuck with herour poor stepsister who lost her real mother

  • Title: Wait Till Helen Comes
  • Author: Mary Downing Hahn
  • ISBN: 9780380704422
  • Page: 396
  • Format: Paperback

    • Beware of HelenHeather is such a whiny little brat Always getting Michael and me into trouble But since our mother married her father, we re stuck with herour poor stepsister who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire But now something terrible has happened Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home a girl named Helen who died wiBeware of HelenHeather is such a whiny little brat Always getting Michael and me into trouble But since our mother married her father, we re stuck with herour poor stepsister who lost her real mother in a mysterious fire But now something terrible has happened Heather has found a new friend, out in the graveyard behind our home a girl named Helen who died with her family in a mysterious fire over a hundred years ago Now her ghost returns to lure children into the pond drown I don t want to believe in ghosts, but I ve followed Heather into the graveyard and watch her talk to Helen And I m terrified Not for myself, but for Heather

    • [PDF] Read ☆ Wait Till Helen Comes : by Mary Downing Hahn
      396 Mary Downing Hahn
    Wait Till Helen Comes

    About Author

    1. Mary Downing Hahn says:
      I grew up in a small shingled house down at the end of Guilford Road in College Park, Maryland Our block was loaded with kids my age We spent hours outdoors playing Kick the Can and Mother, May I as well as cowboy and outlaw games that usually ended in quarrels about who shot whom In the summer, we went on day long expeditions into forbidden territory the woods on the other side of the train tracks, the creek that wound its way through College Park, and the experimental farm run by the University of Maryland.In elementary school, I was known as the class artist I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper All those facts who cared what the principal products of Chile were To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn t always interfered.When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in complex stories I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said For this, I needed words Although I wasn t sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children s books when I grew up Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live my ideal self, in other words Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.In high school, I kept a diary In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker Unfortunately, I didn t have the courage or the confidence to send anything there By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old That s how long it took me to get serious about writing The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.Since Sara appeared in 1979, I ve written an average of one book a year If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what s going to happen Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out If I d paid attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down Writing is a journey of discovery That s what makes it so exciting.

    Comment 938 on “Wait Till Helen Comes”

    1. karen says:
      JANUARYas part of my personal reading challenges for 2017, once a month i will be revisiting a favorite book from when i was a little bitty karen and seeing if it holds up to my fond memories and determining if i can still enjoy it as an old and crotchety karenngers crossed first things first in answer to the question does this book hold up it does i mean, i read this book countless times in my childhood, so the plot is still emblazoned on my brain and the tension of what will happen next was ob [...]
      Reply

    2. Jodi Meadows says:
      When I was eleven, one of my teachers read this book to the class I don t know what it was about WAIT TILL HELEN COMES, or if it was something the teacher said, but this was the book that somehow informed me that books don t magically appear on library shelves, as I d previously believed Books must be written By people Like, it s their job to make up stories And if I worked hard enough, it could be my job, too.It was also one of the first books I remember reading on my own where the magic was re [...]
      Reply

    3. Martha says:
      Sighe good ghost stories that somehow passed me by as a kidwell, better late than never This is a bone chilling goodie, too Everything I love in a ghost story creepy little girls, hidden graves, faces in windows, crumbling ruins in the woods, even a dark and murky pond Brrrrr A bit dated, but none the less, a gem of a read right before Halloween.
      Reply

    4. Obsidian says:
      I was really enjoying this young adult ghost story until we got to the ending I wish Hahn had gone a different route, or at least made it that things were not wrapped up so smoothly Then again maybe I m a blood thirsty reader who wanted some murder and mayhem to occur Told in the first person, we follow 12 year old Molly as she and the rest of her blended family move from Balti to some random place in the country Right away Hahn causes all my sympathies to lie towards Molly and her 10 year old b [...]
      Reply

    5. Kristina Horner says:
      This is a book I ve literally had on my shelf for over 10 years My aunt gave it to me years ago, as it was her favorite children s book I, being a terrible niece, never read it Until now.Wait Till Helen Comes is an interesting book I think it might have scared me, as a child It deals heavily with death, some twisted forms of manipulation from a ghost, and multiple people dying in fires Surprisingly dark for a middle grade book.As an adult, I was extremely bothered by how terrible and worthless e [...]
      Reply

    6. Melanie (TBR and Beyond) says:
      Read in one sitting Really great middle grade ghost story Full review to come.
      Reply

    7. PaigeBookdragon says:
      This book is a bit childish and the only reason why it holds my interest for an hour or two is because Heather annoys me I want pinch her cheeks.
      Reply

    8. Angie Elle says:
      I haven t read this book since I was a little girl, but I m giving it five stars simply because I slept with my light on for a week after reading it
      Reply

    9. MEREDITH :) says:
      I loved this book It was really creepy I think all of you should read it Michaeal Molly have to move to an old church now a house with their mom and new stepfather They are not happy at ALL will miss all of their friends Unfourtunatly Molly has to share a room with her new step sister, Heather She is really rude creepy One day Heather wanders off to the graveyard behind the house She soon creepily comes attached to this one grave in particular Then one day Heather pushes Molly down a wellJK Lol, [...]
      Reply

    10. MLE says:
      Just as creepy as when I was a kid The kind of book that reminds me of what I like about ghost stories Nothing over the top, just perfectly atmospheric and haunting In some ways it reminds me of my favorite Disney movie from childhood.
      Reply

    11. Mr. Balcoms Class says:
      Read this one aloud to my students again.Nothing gets the blood chilling like ghost children Shiver
      Reply

    12. Bentley ★ Bookbastion.net says:
      I remember reading this as a kid, but could not for the life of me remember what this book was called or who wrote it It s haunted me pardon the pun for years trying to remember it until I randomly came across it in my feed tonight This is why I love so much
      Reply

    13. Kimberly says:
      This was a re read of one of my favorites as a kid One of my own kids is writing a book report on it, so I thought I d pick it up to refresh my memory I have to say, as an adult, I found a lot wrong with this book, but as a kid, it seemed perfectly natural for parents to say, Go play in a strange neighborhood, and not see their kids again until dinner time Three stars, as an adult.
      Reply

    14. Michelle says:
      Oh some days don t you wish were twelve again Well, probably you don t, at least if you were like me I was awkward and chubby and had all sorts of acne Puberty is a biotch BUTI remember my love for little gems such as Wait Till Helen Comes Don t you love ghost stories I love a ghost story I love getting a little thrill from being afraid of what may or may not be lurking around the corner or in the dark Not because I believe in ghosts, mind you I sort of really scoff at the idea Most of the time [...]
      Reply

    15. Lauren Fidler says:
      this book gave me nightmares as a small child and yet i reread it at least 97 times between the ages of 8 and 13 i think i still own a copy, actually read december 3rd, 2011 i forgot how much i hate heather in this book yes, it s written in first person from molly s POV, so, of course, we re supposed to hate heather, but dang that girl is a witch and what s with parents marrying people that their children don t get along with this plot point probably nagged me as a kid, but now, as a parent, i m [...]
      Reply

    16. Katie says:
      My sister s never been much of a reader, but she LOVED this book growing up It was only ever okay for me, but I didn t remember much at all, so I decided to re read it.Sadly it remains only okay for me, but WOW does Hahn ever get the UNFAIRNESS of being a kid right Being blamed for stuff your sibling did, your parents not believing you My blood boiled reading all those scenes IT WAS KRISTA, MOM AND DAD, NOT ME
      Reply


    18. Clover says:
      Have you ever wondered if ghost exist or not well after you read this book you will question your whole idea about ghosts The genre of the book Wait Till Helen comes is a supernatural fiction I think this book is really good and is a must read for everyone all ages Wait Till Helen Comes is about a twelve year old girl named Molly and her ten year old brother Micheal Molly and Micheal s mom marry a man who has a 7 year old daughter named Heather Micheal and Molly have to share a house with their [...]
      Reply

    19. Dana Wallace - Not Enough Books, Not Enough Time says:
      Originally posted on NOT ENOUGH BOOKS, NOT ENOUGH TIME Helen doesn t like either one of you, and when she comes, you ll be sorry for everything you ever did to me This book was a great start to my scary October reading It had everything a graveyard in the backyard, creepy children, death, possession, etc The writing was amazing and vivid, I almost couldn t believe that this was a middle grade read besides the length of the book and the main characters This book had been recommended to me by a cu [...]
      Reply

    20. 03NicoleV says:
      Title Wait till Helen comes Author Mary Downing Hahn Year 2008 Pages 184Intended Audience anyone who loves ghost storiesMain Issue A little girl brings up a ghost from the grave.Setting The sitting at the old church just adds to the creepiness of the storyDescription Molly 12 years old, oldest child Michael 10 years old, loves the outdoors Heather 7 years old, has psychopathic problems.Summary A family moved into the country in an old church with a graveyard in the backyard One day Molly catches [...]
      Reply

    21. InkedBookDragon says:
      I am reviewing Wait Till Helen Comes A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn It is written towards children in grades 5 7 I stumbled upon this book and thought that I would give it a shot It looked interesting What did I have to lose I was pleasantly surprised with this one It may have been written for the younger crowd but it doesn t always feel that way It deals with very serious issues such as adapting to blended families, severe guilt, communication, fear of abandonment, and forgiveness Add in t [...]
      Reply

    22. Joana Rosales says:
      Do you believe in ghosts After this book your opinion will change The genre of Wait Till Helen Comes is supernatural I think Wait Till Helen Comes is a good book and will change you mind about ghost The book sometimes has some spine chilling parts This book is about a girl named Molly and her brother Micheal they re have to move in with there new sister Heather and new dad because her mom married Heather s dad They had to move at an old house that used to be a church that has a cemetery One day [...]
      Reply

    23. Zak says:
      Molly and her brother have a stepsister Heather which they don t like They move to the a church which has a graveyard in the back Heather finds a grave and starts to talk to imagined friend Helen Or is she Well Heather get killed by Helen Why does Heather hate her new family What secret is she keeping Is Helen real I really liked this book for the most part The writing was great and the plot was pretty good for the most part At first it s pretty boring but in the last quarter of it it got very g [...]
      Reply

    24. Linda Lipko says:
      A blended family moves to the country The host of characters includes a mother with two children, a father with a bratty little girl and her ghost friend Helen.While the story was well crafted, I couldn t connect with it and cannot recommend it It will go back to the library sale table tomorrow.
      Reply

    25. Carley says:
      This book is amazing if you like thrillers this book is just that.
      Reply

    26. Panada Vang says:
      The book that I m reading is Wait Till Helen Comes is about a twelve year old girl named Molly and her brother named Michael , the never like their young step sister because she make their life miserable and the step sister can talk to a ghost name Helen.What i like about the book is that it scary and sad at same timelly saw Helen and she keep tell michael over and over again but he didn t believe her.Their step sister keep going to see the ghost heather want Molly, michael ,and their mother to [...]
      Reply

    27. Anna says:
      A rediscovered favorite from childhood I must have read this at least a half dozen times in elementary school, and I was completely captivated and scared The story doesn t hold the same appeal now, but when re reading I was reminded pretty vividly of being scared by the idea of living in a house right by a graveyard, and how I used to be terrified of Helen s ghost It s interesting to come back to this after so long as a kid, I didn t understand appreciate the absentee unaware parent trope that m [...]
      Reply

    28. Alex says:
      The main characther in the story is Molly Including her brother Michael, her mother, stepsister Heather, and her stepfather Her mother gets married so they all move in the same home When they move in, they find out their home was once a church, and they live on a graveyard Molly and her brother have never got along with Heather because she always gets them in trouble by lying Heather finds the graveyard very interesting because one the graves has the same initials as her own The family starts to [...]
      Reply

    29. Jesus says:
      I thought it was great book because there was a lot of tention exciment and thrilling scenes i would reccomend this book to a lot of people This book is about a family who move their children out of Balti for a better life They move into a church they had three children Heather is the adopted one, Molly, and Michael they didnt like the idea of moving out of Balti Just one day all of the three had their own activities to do during the day michael went out looking for bugs Molly just stayed in the [...]
      Reply

    30. Lauren Munoz says:
      I haven t read this book for almost twenty years, but when my dad came across it and sent it to me, I had to check it out again.As a child, I found this book terrifying I remember reading it in bed at night with chills, even though I knew exactly what happened after the first time through.As an adult, I found the book sort of annoying The parents act like selfish fools I would never forgive a stepparent who asked me what kind of little monster I was, for example , and the little girl at the cent [...]
      Reply

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *