After a long week at school and writing her way through another vision, ten-year-old Inez Finley leaves her small, seaside town of Bear Valley and heads into the city with her mother, grandmother, and best friend, Quinn.
As Mom spends the day working, Inezâwith Quinn and Grandma Estherâmake way to a nearby bookshop to search for more answers about the ancestor from Inez's dreams: Mercy Finley.
At the shop, the events of the peaceful day turn into chaos. And Inezâs dreams, yet again, come to life.
After a long week at school and writing her way through another vision, ten-year-old Inez Finley leaves her small, seaside town of Bear Valley and heads into the city with her mother, grandmother, and best friend, Quinn.
As Mom spends the day working, Inezâwith Quinn and Grandma Estherâmake way to a nearby bookshop to search for more answers about the ancestor from Inez's dreams: Mercy Finley.
At the shop, the events of the peaceful day turn into chaos. And Inezâs dreams, yet again, come to life.
Whose dog is that? I know.
All in red, its owner is angry though.
She gives her dog a shake,
And screams, âIâve made a bad mistake.â
The only other sounds? The brakes,
Of screeching cars and birds awake.
And there Mercy stands, under the moon, watching
Waiting forâŚwaitingâŚ
âForâŚa break? Maybe? It rhymes, I guess.â
In her bedroom, ten-year-old Inez Finley tapped a finger to her cheek, trying to figure out the next line of her new poem. She glanced at the flower-shaped clock on her desk.
8:00am. Sheâd sat in front of her late grandfatherâs red typewriter for three hours and, still, the words made no sense. Inez rubbed her sleepy eyes. âForget it.â She ripped out the paper with her newest writing, balled it up, and tossed it into the overflowing wastebasket beside her desk. The new poem was supposed to âsolveâ the dream from the night before. Grandma Esther said it would.
Get those thoughts on paperâŚ
Well, Inezâs thoughts were on paper. Written down in her journal and typed out. But Inez was as confused as ever.
âItâs not working.â She dropped her head into her hands. Last nightâs dream was a mess of black and white shadows and fuzzy shapes. Three things were clear though: a dog with brown, white, and black fur, Mercy Finley floating in the background, and a crescent moon in a blurry sky. Mercy FinleyâInezâs ancestor, Dad had clarified when Inez first asked about herâlooked the same in the dream as she did in the framed picture in Dadâs office and in the locket from Grandma Esther. Inez lifted her head and peered at the golden-colored chain next to the typewriter. She picked it up and held the oval charm in her palm, then traced the smooth edges of the egg-shaped trinket with her finger. She found the lock and tugged both sides of it until the charm opened to the photo of Mercyâs face.
A face almost the same as her own. Round face,dark and round eyes, deep brown skin. Two thick, black braids stretched down to Mercyâs waist. The black top she wore had a line of white buttons in the middle of it. The bigger picture in Dadâs office showed that Mercyâs black top was actually a dress with a wide, black skirt at the bottom. According to Inezâs history book,many women who lived in New England during 17th Century America wore clothes similar to Mercyâs. Dad said Mercy had lived during those days so that made sense. Too bad nothing else did. The only other facts Inez had about Mercy Finley and her lifetime were from the stories that Dad and Grandma remembered being told. Sometimes, Dadâs and Grandmaâs information matched. Other times, the details were so different that Inez didnât know what to think. She tried researching too, but most of the books at school, the ones at the shops in town, and the local library had very little background on Mercy. If they even mentioned her at all.
The desk chair rolled along the floor as Inez moved to stand up. She huffed at Mercyâs picture. âWhy wonât you let me be normal?â
Of course, Mercy wouldnât answer. She never did. She was nothing but a memory from a long time ago. An annoying memory that wouldnât go away anytime soon. Inez sniffed then smiled. Bacon.
âNez!â Momâs voice echoed. âBreakfast is ready!â âComing!â Inez called back.
Saturday mornings were made for funâbig breakfast, no school, no homework, hanging with best friendsânot being bored or overthinking about yet another weird dream. It had been a long week at school and Inez was determined to enjoy the weekend. Putting the necklace with the charm around her neck, she headed down the stairs.
In the dining room next to the kitchen, Grandma Esther sat at the head of the wooden oval table; a plate of blueberry pancakes, eggs, and bacon set in front of her. Dad was in the seat beside her, digging happily into his own breakfast. Inez took the chair on the other side of Grandma just as Mom walked in from the kitchen. She held a breakfast plate with one hand and the phone at her ear with the other.
âI have to ask these questions before I take on any new client, Mr. Frayer,â Mom said into the phone as she placed the plate down in front of Inez, gave her quick hug, then started back toward the kitchen. âGreat and what is yourâŚâ
Momâs words trailed off and the sound of a closing door followed.
Her accounting businessânamed Deborah Finley Accountingâ did well, so well that calls from new companies started to come in on the weekends. But Mom savored every single part of her Saturdays and Sundays and almost never took calls on either of those days. Inez wondered how important Mr. Frayerâs call was.
âGood news,â Dad said, interrupting her thoughts. He finished chewing the last bite of his food before he spoke again. âMs. Bennett is very much all right.â
Inezâs eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite teacher. âShe is?â
He smiled and the features that matched Grandmaâs beamed. âWe kept her in the hospital overnight, but sheâll be able to go home today. She just has to rest up for the next few days. Sheâll be all right and back in class before you know it.â
Inez let out a huge breath. If she hadnât seen the dream and known what to do, her teacher would haveâŚ
âItâs okay, sweetie.â Dad reached forward and wiped the tear that started to fall down Inezâs face. âSheâs okay.â He kissed her forehead. âYou did good.â
For the first time all year, Ms. Bennettâs fifth grade class at Bear Valley Elementary School had a substitute teacher. All week long, everyone said Ms. Bennett was okay. But now, she was going back home to the house she shared with her mom five blocks away. And coming back to class.
Dad looked down at his watch then stood. âIf I donât get going now, Iâll be late.â He kissed Grandmaâs then Inezâs cheek before putting on the white coat with âDr. Gregory Finley, M.D.âstitched above the front pocket. âTell Mom Iâll be home early today. Love you guys.â
With that, he was out of the house and on his way to Bear Valley Hospital.
âSo, a dog, a busy road, and Mercy was there, too?â Inez turned at Grandma Estherâs question.
âThatâs right,â Inez said. âThe dog was barking and there
was a moon. I donât know what it means.â
The wrinkles and freckles in Grandmaâs brown face moved as the eyes behind her cat-eye glasses widened, hopeful. âAny luck at all with figuring out the dream?â
Inez shook her head. âI did what you said, but I still donât know what itâs supposed to mean.â
âDonât worry, love. Weâll figure it out together.â
Inez gave Grandma a halfhearted grin. She sure hoped so. Not that hope did any good. Since age seven, Inez began dreaming of Mercy Finley. When she turned ten, the visions of the future started. But Mercy never left.
Inez nodded. âI hope youâre right, Grandma. You saidâŚâ She stopped as Momâs voice drifted into the room and then back out again.
Inez lowered her voice to a whisper. âYou only saw her once. Why does she keep showing up for me?â
âI donât know, sweetheart.â The older woman rubbed her chin, a movement she always made when turning over a question or problem in her mind. âDid you forget anything? You swear you told me everything?â
âYes, maâam. Itâs just like I told you.â
Before Grandma Esther could say anything back, footsteps sounded. Mom, without the phone and carrying her breakfast, joined them at the table.
âNew client?â Grandma Esther asked her. âWhere are you headed?â
âFlour Power Pizzeria,â Mom told her, taking a bite of bacon from her own plate. âLooks like Iâm going downtown. You two up for a trip?â
It is one day after ten-year-old Inez Finleyâs teacher, Ms. Bennett, goes to the hospital because of an allergic reaction; an event which Inez had dreamed of the night before. This is not the first time Inez has had a premonition that came true, and though she does not yet understand what it means, it is a trait she shares with her grandmother. Today is Saturday, and Inezâs mother invites Inez, Grandma Esther, and Inezâs best friend Quinn to join her on an excursion to downtown Providence, Rhode Island. Upon arriving, Inez and Quinn look to Grandma Esther to provide exciting entertainment, as she so often does. Grandma Esther does not disappoint. On the lookout for more information about their mysterious ancestor Mercy Finley, Grandma Esther takes Inez and Quinn to Books Schmooks, a store owned by the daughter of Grandma Estherâs friend, Miss Cori. There, they uncover centuries-old documents linking Mercy to the Salem Witch trials. An unexpected appearance by Mercyâs ghost, who is normally only seen in dreams, shakes Inez and she loses consciousness only to wake in her home hours later.
Directly following the first book in this series, Wicked Dreams takes readers deeper into Inezâs story through details of her ancestor, Mercy. Told in a similar fashion to the preceding book, older elementary-school-aged readers will appreciate both the accessible length of the story and the overall depth of the plot. Friendship and love are common themes in both stories, and even though Inezâs âgiftâ is unusual, its existence does not change the way her family feels about her. Descriptive language and careful storytelling move readers smoothly from beginning to end, bringing Inezâs world to life. An unresolved ending easily leaves the series open for a third installment and gives the story the feel of a singular episode within a greater work rather than a fully contained book. The opportunity for more detail within the narrative is rich, as more questions are posed than answered. However, the brevity of the books in this series means young readers can be more easily introduced to the paranormal genre without the intimidating feel of a more lengthy novel.
Grades 5-6