This was a very simple overview of Alcatraz. It would be a prefect introduction for children to learn about the history.

The book should be called A Very Brief History of Alcatraz. The ghostly happenings are one or two sentence man at the end of each section. The history of Alcatraz is very interesting, but I myself disappointed that it was more history, and not enough ghosts.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I have a fascination with ghosts and Alcatraz, so this was right up my alley!

Part of a set of very young non-fiction books, this time covering the history of the island in the San Francisco Bay, from the debated use for it the First Nations may have had, through it being a fort, followed by military then civil prison. You get just a few sentences per spread, and when it can find the slightest excuse for it it asks you if ghosts are still there haunting the place, thereby justifying its entry in this spook-seeking series. Reasonable photos and other illustrations do serve to make this a pretty effective travel guide for the very young, but as a way in to the mood, despair and creepiness of it all it might be lacking somewhat. Three and a half stars.

Theresa Emminizer’s The Ghostly Guide to Alcatraz is a brief and easy-to-read book detailing the history of the very famous island and prison. I enjoyed the book’s eye-catching design and bright pictures. The information is interesting but it is a little underwhelming, especially the ghostly tidbits.

This is a very easy-to-follow and understandable book for younger readers. Emminizer’s nicely simple language is concise and accessible. The book is divided neatly into simple, comprehensive, and super short chapters. The easy-to-read information includes fascinating facts about Alcatraz’s long history (it became a maximum security prison in 1934 and closed in 1963), the prison’s infamous inmates like Al Capone, as well as mentions of infamous prison escape attempts. I particularly appreciated the inclusion of the Native peoples. Did you know that it’s possible that the Native peoples believed the island was haunted and may have used it as a spot of punishment?

I also appreciate the inclusion of a glossary, a short timeline of Alcatraz’s history, as well as a section with books and websites so kids can learn more about Alcatraz on their own.

However, there is disappointingly little information on Alcatraz’s haunted aspects. I would have loved to see more pages on the alleged hauntings and sightings. I also would have liked to see more specific facts or stories.

I really appreciate the book’s colourful and appropriately spooky design which definitely makes the reading experience quite fun and exciting. I also love that there are so many interesting full-colour pictures and this will definitely appeal to younger readers!



👻👻👻 out of 5 ghosts!

Well this was not what I expected. Per the publishing blur The Ghostly guide to Alcatraz is a thrilling mix of facts,Fable,and fun. Discover the long, bloody history and meet notorious inmates as well as stories of hauntings.
Yeah, ok.
In with 32 pages I expected more than a few short paragraphs per page.
Yes this is written for children, but does them a disservice but not actually providing any information.
The history of Alcatraz is more than bloody inmates, and can be told to.children without dramatics or over the top gore.
As for the ghost stories,there have been many books and documentaries about these sightings and supposed hauntings.
All we are offered here is a drivel about whether or not those who died are still walking around."Could Al Capone still be playing his banjo in the showers of Alcatraz?
Really?
I personally wouldn't insult any child I knew by giving them this book as any kind of guide to the history of Alcatraz, in this world or any other.

Thanks to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Definitely an interesting read for older kids. It’s a quick read and a little redundant in the verbiage but still a very spooky, cool read.

Fantastic book! I was hooked from the beginning. I thought it was well written and the story flowed well. I was engaged from start to finish. I am a history buff and this book was right up my ally. I will definitely be recommending this book to others and I will buy a copy for myself as well.

As other reviews have noted I didn't realize that it was a children's book. It was very interesting but there really wasn't any new information on Alcatraz that hasn't already been written about. While this is in an excellent format for those children that are in grades 1-3 for anyone else it is a five minute read. The pictures are amazing and the text is appropriate for that age. The book does not go deeply into anyone of the stories just very brief summary of events.

A very brief introductory guide to Alcatraz. The pictures are well done and the information is divided into comprehensible chapters. As part of the "eerie" places they don't spend much time on ghosts and haunted areas. I also feel they should have included more information as to the resolution of when Alcatraz was occupied by Native American activists, the same way they gave finishing information for the people who attempted to escape. Otherwise this is a good primer for young children who have never heard of Alcatraz and a recommended purchase for libraries where this topic isn't as represented. The "Where Is Alcatraz?" book makes a good, more in-depth, companion.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

This is a book I would have read as a child. Eerie, but not too scary, mixed with history was my thing (still is)

I enjoyed the glossary for the harder words and the use of the metric and imperial systems. The only this I disliked was the term "indian" being used a few times, as we teach Indigenous or First Nations here, Indian is not an acceptable term, unless you are of East Indian descent.

A thoroughly disappointing read! I expected ghost stories related to Alcatraz and instead received pictures and am few lines of words stating things like Al Capone was a inmate here. He joined a band and learned to play the banjo. It is rumored you can hear a banjo playing....

This book was a complete waste of time, even though it was less than 40 pages long. There are better ghost stories out there than this one.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Even though I had some knowledge of Alcatraz, there was some I just learned about in the book. Its a fast read and its very interesting. Just.wish.there.was.more information in the book. I would only use.this book for research. Purposes. Even though its short it has the basic information you need. I liked the book just wish there was more.
I.received a free copy of the book and is voluntarily writing a review

This short children’s book includes some photos and facts about Alcatraz. There’s nothing eerie or ghostly about it.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

A delightfully creepy look into one of the scariest places in the US. I went there a few years ago and it was phenomenal! So to revisit with little glimpses at the attempts and escapes was so much fun. This is perfect for kids who want to dip their toes into the waters of creepy places without being scared out of their skin!

The Ghostly Guide to Alcatraz by Theresa Emminizer was received directly from the publisher and I chose to review it. I had not realized it was a children's book but I read it anyway. I have never been to the island but after this book, I kind of feel my familiarity is much better. While the title is Ghostly Guide, it was not scary and I would gladly let my granddaughter read it when she gets old enough. Actually this entire series I will look further into as a possible gift for her.

4 Stars

The Ghostly Guide to Alcatraz is a good non-fiction kids book to introduce kids to Alcatraz Island. I definitely recommend it for those kids who love spooky stuff. II is a book series and I’d love to read the one about Edinburgh Castle and The White House. Alcatraz is definitely on my bucket list of places to visit.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the NetGalley e-arc I received.

As an avid fan of Alcatraz and the history, I found this book thoroughly entertaining and educational. It was well written and interesting.

Thank you to Net galley for this opportunity to read this book. I dont care much for this book it was just difficult to read and get behind. I dont like giving reviews a bad name i just didnt care for this one bit. I love the cover and what the book is about. Alcatraz has always fascinated me but this did the exact opposite for me.

I enjoyed this short read! Full of great info, and some fun stories. Young readers who enjoy history (or you want to get them to enjoy some history), will like this one.

Super fun :)