It was a school trip that twelve-year-old Amanda Ross would always remember. She and a few of her classmates were selected to go on an educational trip to New Mexico. Because each student was artistic in some way, they were expected to record highlights of their adventure. One girl, Cleo, was exceptionally nervous and started saying she was seeing ghosts. Not believing in such apparitions, Amanda, nevertheless, was being a supportive friend to Cleo. When strange things started happening, Amanda began to wonder what to believe.
Interesting and spooky travel story middle grade readers (and up) are likely to enjoy.

AMANDA IN NEW MEXICO: GHOSTS IN THE WIND finds student Amanda Ross on a school trip in Taos, New Mexico. While there, her classmate Cleo thinks she sees ghosts. Amanda feels anxious too, sensing that something or someone is watching her. An engaging adventure ensues during their visit to the Land of Enchantment in this sixth book in the fun and educational series for early middle grade readers.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Opinions are mine.

#AmandaInNewMexico #NetGalley

Sixth-grader Amanda Ross is a girl who loves to travel, so she’s pretty excited about her class trip from Calgary, Canada to Taos, New Mexico. But no sooner does their plane land in the Albuquerque airport than Amanda’s friend Cleo begins to tremble, wishing she were home, and asking if Amanda believes in ghosts.

Staying at a famous Taos hotel, the Mable Dodge Luhan House, Amanda and Cleo share a room, but Cleo is still anxious. Even their room feels spooky to her, and she believes she saw someone when she opened the closet. Nevertheless, Amanda is determined to make the most of this trip and enjoy their short stay, learning as much about the history of the area as possible and recording her impressions and stories on the school's Kidblog.

As the class visits sights such as the Governor Bent Museum, the Hacienda de los Martinez, the Taos Pueblo, where they also stopped to try some wonderful Fry Bread, the *Rio Grande Gorge and Bridge, the Ojo Caliente hot springs, Palisade Sills, the St. James Hotel, and the Enchanted Circle Pottery, and ending with a Day of the Dead celebration, Amanda and Cleo hook up with another classmate to go exploring together. Cleo, however, is still anxious about ghosts, insisting she keeps seeing the ghost of young girl in a white dress, and it seems that everyplace they visit is haunted. After a while, even Amanda begins to feel unsettled and begins to question her own believes about ghosts and the supernatural.

Then, on a visit to the historic Ranchos de Taos Plaza and the church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Amanda, Caleb, and Cleo run into a very angry man named Jim, when Cleo gets injured in an empty building, where once again she thought she saw a ghost.

And indeed, strange things to seem to be happening to Cleo on this trip. It seems everywhere she goes, she sees the ghost of the same young girl who appears to be trying to tell her something. But who might this girl be? Is she really a ghost or just Cleo’s imagination playing tricks on her? And what does angry Jim, whom they run into more than once, have to do with it all? Can Amanda solve the mystery of Cleo’s ghostly companion.

Ghosts in the Wind is the second Amanda Travels book I've read, and I found it just as interesting as Amanda on the Danube: The Sounds of Music. Everywhere Amanda travels to seems to have a mystery just right for a curious 12 year-old to solve. And Ghosts in the Wind is no different. I lived in the southwest for four years and there is a certain kind of atmosphere there that does carry a bit of a supernatural feel to it, and Darlene Foster has captured that feeling and infused it throughout the places Amanda and her school mates visit.

I have to admit that I did find Amanda a little annoying, going off and doing what she wants even when told by the adults around her not to. She's also a little impatient with Cleo, a relatively new girl in school and one that Amanda doesn't really know much about. She really upsets Cleo when she posts a story about Cleo's ghost in the closet for everyone to read on Kidblog. Cleo has her own backstory that eventually does help Amanda understand her better when she finally talks about her life. Cleo likes to draw and records everything she sees by illustrating it, including the ghost in one of her scenes. Caleb is very much fun character. He carries a camera everywhere he goes and records his adventures that way. He also provides some comic relief when things get serious and some help when Amanda needs it.

The Amanda Travels series is a really nice way of introducing young readers to different places around the world through the eyes of girl around their age and it's perfect for kids who like a good mystery. Each mystery surrounding each story is build around the particular place that Amanda is visiting so readers learn about the history, the food, famous sights, celebrations, and the geography, including the landscape.

Amanda in New Mexico: Ghosts in the Wind has a lot of offer readers and just might wake up the wanderlust in some.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an EARC received from NetGalley

Mystery
8-11
Twelve-year-old Amanda and her new friend Cleo are headed to New Mexico with several Grade 6 classmates from Calgary. An artistic bunch, they will be exploring the history and culture of the area, taking time to document the trip through drawings, photographs, and words. Amanda doesn’t believe in ghosts, and neither does her photographer buddy Caleb. But when strange occurrences start happening to Cleo, and then to others in the group, Amanda finds herself wondering if ghosts really do exist. I commend Foster for the meticulous research; readers will learn a great deal about the history and culture of the Ancient Puebloans, early settlers, and modern American natives in the area. The kids get into mischief, largely by accident, and young readers will enjoy the story, though it does feel rather formulaic for an adult reader. The story never took off for me – it felt like a series of coincidences rather than a carefully plotted novel. Clues aren’t readily apparent until near the end, and the resolution was, for me, rather flat and awkward. This is the sixth book in the Amanda Travels series, but the first one I’ve read. I don’t think I’ll be trying any others in the series, but it’s possible the book will have more appeal for readers already familiar with Amanda’s adventures. Ultimately there’s nothing really wrong with this book; it just never seems to gain any heights. My thanks to Central Avenue Publishing for the advance reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34432362

Amanda lives in Canada and they are taking a school trip to New Mexico to visit the Taos area. She and her classmates are excited to see the historical sites and buy some trinkets to take home. Now if her roommate would just quit thinking she's seeing ghosts, all would be well.

Central Avenue Publishing and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

I live in New Mexico and I don't see ghosts, but I can hear them. I've heard soldiers talking at an old deserted fort and Indians drumming and dances right below some petroglyphs. I don't really believe in them but how can you ignore what you can hear?

In this story, Amanda's friend Cleo sees a young girl. She's afraid to be in rooms where ghosts are rumored to be around. And she ends up spooking Amanda, too.

When a wind knocks Amanda into a cemetery, she's scared. The man who yells at her for trespassing isn't pleasant either. Suddenly, it seems Amanda is in trouble everywhere. When Amanda and Caleb find bones in one of the forbidden buildings, it gets even more eerie.

This visit to New Mexico is well documented and shows some of the legends of the Land of Enchantment. You feel like you visited the facilities the children did. You also find out some of the history of people there.

Learn about New Mexico in the comfort of your favorite chair and you won't have to worry about ghosts visiting you...

This is the sixth book in the series but the first I've read. I am intrigued and I'm going to try and find the first book. I think my students might like it. I requested this book from NetGalley because it can be tough to find middle grade novels set in NM. I am not a big ghost story reader so I can't compare this to other scary books, but aside from Wimpy Kid and Minecraft scary books are my most requested. I will probably purchase this for my library.

Amanda seems like a pretty nice kid. She tries to be a good friend, gets along well with her peers, and is a good student. The kids in this book have a lot of freedom considering they're in middle school, but they're also pretty responsible and generally do what they're supposed to. This book touches on mental illness, grief, and compassion.

This is the latest installment in a series about a 6th grade girl who is lucky enough to travel, this time with many in her class on a school trip to Taos, New Mexico. They are all students who are artistic, write blogs, take photographs or express themselves in other ways that they are producing each evening after their sightseeing. Taos is a place I have visited and enjoyed so I find it exciting to see it used for the setting of a young adult novel. I also read mysteries when I was young and enjoyed the opportunity to see what is being produced today in this area,and with that hint of the paranormal.

Amanda's character seems likable to me, smart, but not off-putting. She is also friendly and able and willing to be friends with an outsider. She is adventuresome but also loves learning. I enjoyed the way the author sprinkled the elements of education carefully throughout this novel, providing information on Taos Pueblo and the people who live there. There are also tidbits on cowboys who populated the Southwest and their culture as well as elements of the lives of the many current residents.

Were there ghosts in the Taos area? Did Amanda or her friend Cleo actually see or experience one or more? Well that's a difficult question to answer. This story combines a good young adult adventure story with hints of the paranormal while also providing some well placed educational material lightly in the text and great ideas for other young people to aspire to.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I received a free electronic copy of this children's novel from Netgalley, Darlene Foster, and Central Avenue Publishing, Children's Fiction, Travel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Amanda is a 6th grader in Guy Weadick Elementary School in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She and her friend Cleo are on a school field trip in Taos, New Mexico, USA in this excellent travel tale. The northern parts of New Mexico that we natives know and love shine bright in this travelog, And Cleo and Amanda are sweet girls who also shine. You will visit the Mable Dodge Luhan house, the Governor Bent Museum, The Taos Pueblo, the Rio Grande Gorge and bridge, Ojo Caliente hot springs, and see the Palisade Sills, the St. James Hotel, and take a tour of Enchanted Circle Pottery. Peek into Day of the Dead celebrations.

And then if you have time, you should choose to head south and west! New Mexico is a varied and colorful mosaic of life and life styles. We can keep you busy for a long time.

I read this book didn't know what to expect,but I loved it,does into details about Mexico,a very good book well written.