Madeleine "Lainie" Stanton is about to become a local celebrity. Born at precisely midnight at the millennium, she's turning 12, and a TV station wants an interview. But when the reporter finds out Lainie's great-grandmother Madeleine was hanged for murder, the story threatens to blow up into something quite different.

Racing against time to prove her ancestor was framed, Lainie and her two best friends follow clues that seem to come in a shocking way—from Madeleine herself.

MADDIE'S GHOST is upper-middle-grade fiction, a story with heart, humor, family, friends, and a twisty old house.

CAROL FISHER SALLER lives in Chicago. Honors include Bankstreet Best Books, Kirkus Best, Horn Book Recommended Verse, the Carl Sandburg Award for Children's Literature, and Chicago Public Library's Best Teen Fiction.

"This expertly plotted middle-grade thriller will enthrall readers... Saller skillfully weaves history and present-day hints to create an irresistible narrative, rich with exciting clues... Saller doesn't shy away from tough subjects... unethical drug companies, unjust execution..., and unnecessary commitment to mental hospitals. Lainie and her friends are thoroughly believable and appealing... This tantalizing tale will engage readers from the first page to the last." — Publishers Weekly Booklife (Editor's Pick)
"An exciting exploration of history, justice, and the long-lasting impact of the past... Effortlessly bridges the gap between multiple generations." — Readers' Favorite (5 stars)
"A strong, flawed, believable girl." — Paula Morrow, children's book editor and librarian
"I would have loved this as a kid. Mystery, ghosts, crushes, secret staircases, believable friendships, and librarians. A page-turner." — Louise Brueggemann, librarian

Duckweed Books

Published audiobooks