made the house into a station 3of the Underground Railroad. The ghosts are still said to walk the rooms of Drear House. When they get to their house, they meet new people like the Darrows and the scary land lord, Mr. Pluto, who Thomas thinks is the devil.While they were living in Drear House, it was obvious some one did not want them to be there. They got many threats and damage to their house. In the end, Thomas and his Father stumble into Mr. Plutos underground lair. Mr. Plutos son is there, and they explain how the Darrows are trying to take over the treasure Mr. Pluto had. So, Thomas, his Father, Mr. Pluto, Mr. Plutos son, and some of their friends scared the Darrows away by dressingup as ghost slaves.This story teaches the reader a lot about slavery and the Underground Railroad, while also having an entertaining fictional plot. Virginia Hamilton says, of her book, I needed to know how men, women and children could travel hundreds of miles on foot through enemy land. I found out that theywere brave beyond belief. Perhaps with this book I have at last touched them 4the way they first touched me so long ago.5 One of the reasons she became so interested in the Underground Railroad is because her hometown was one of the stops. It is said that her Great Grandmother was a conductor. Family stories of slavery and freedom fascinated Hamilton, and in her books, she explores both historical and contemporary African American experiences. She also draws from her heritage, childhood and life experiences, and shares much of herself in her writing. Virginia Hamilton is one the countrys most versatile and spellbinding authors for young people.6 The Mystery of Drear House is the sequel to The House of Dies Drear. In this book it is a lot like the first one, but just a little more deeper in detail. The reader gets to know the characters a little better. When Virginia Hamilton was talking about this book she said that when she wrote...
