Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story

Written by Mary Downing Hahn

Narrated by Ellen Grafton

Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their younger stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard.

If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse.

But they do—when Helen comes.

"Genuinely scary, complete with dark secrets from the past, unsettled graves, and a very real ghost." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Feb 20, 2009
• ISBN: 9781423381204

Mary Downing Hahn

Mary Downing Hahn’s many acclaimed novels include such beloved ghost stories as Wait Till Helen Comes, Deep and Dark and Dangerous, and Took. A former librarian, she has received more than fifty child-voted state awards for her work. She lives in Columbia, Maryland, with a cat named Nixi.

Reviews for Wait Till Helen Comes

[wealhtheowwylfing · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

SO SCARY OMG. Years later, just seeing the cover gives me the shivers.

[Kathryn Soderholm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good spooky plot and I like the kid characters. The adults are infuriating though.

I mostly liked the reader, but she gives Michael a nasal voice that grated on me.

[Chloe Brokaw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This has always been my favorite book since the fourth grade! It always has me on my toes and never left me wishing that something was better about the book. It has been amazing to reread this and relive my memories of this book!

[RichardKevinWilson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mary Downing Hahn is and was one of the best YA / Childrens authors that I can think of. After just reading this 26 year old ghost story for the first time today, in 2022 it reads as a current and mildly creepy tale of a young girls ghost trying to get someone to acknowlege her and to accept an apology for her past so she can now rest in peace. And she finds it in little and 'Angry herself' Heather! Will Molly and her younger brother help Heather or will the ghost of Helen win?

Highly recommended to anyone who loves a great ghost story.
Loved this, just not as much as her previouse novels i have recently listened to.
4 Ghosts

[Lynne MacKenzie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite part of the book was when Molly and Heather were together near the end and they talked and were becoming sisters that loved each other

[bookofsecrets · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another ghost story from the 80s! FYI: This is a middle grade book about a restless spirit named Helen who haunts a blended family, especially the youngest daughter, Heather. I love how they lived in an old church out in the middle of nowhere, with a cemetery just a few yards away from their bedroom windows. Creepy. The author did a great job with the creep-factor, though nothing over the top scary. It was fun trying to figure out why Helen was targeting Heather, and what connection, if any, they had to each other. My daughter read this book in 4th grade, and she enjoyed it too.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Because it's supposed to more thoughtful & literate than a plain old ghost story... see all the awards!
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Yes, it is deeper than many. The target audience is totally justified to love it; even I would have back then.

Now there are bits that are terribly dated, and I don't mean just the use of a cassette player. Like Dave not taking Heather to therapy to help with her grief. And the extremely selfish parents who are only interested in their art, taking the kids away from their enrichment programs and then trying to make them by Heather's minders. And Mr. Simmons offering to teach "boy" (Michael) to fish, not even considering whether Molly might want to. And indeed, what's the difference between digging up Indian burial mounds and church graveyards?

But if you discuss those issues with your kids, I'd otherwise recommend you consider encouraging them to read this classic. It'll give them a lot to think about, for a long time.

[mandarella-337035 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I wanted a little nostalgia in my life so I revisited this one. I loved this book as a child and it definitely holds up, since I loved it dearly back in elementary school. I see parallels between little Amanda's love for this book and the passion for certain fiction and poetry I read now as an adult. It's a spooky ghost story, and the character Molly loves journaling and reading, and her favorite poets are Edgar Allan Poe and Emily Dickinson. Whhhat!

[thewallflower-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was one of the books I gleaned from “Ban This Book” by Alan Gratz. I’m not sure why it was challenged. Maybe someone thought it was too spoopy for the targeted audience. A second-marriage mom and dad move their family to a quaint farmhouse in Maine so they can work on their art (reminds me of the House Hunters joke: I’m a mouse trainer and he’s a toothpick collector; our budget is 2 million dollars). But the littlest girl, the main character’s stepsister, keeps seeing a ghost nearby. A ghost trying to push her into going full Bad Seed.

The pacing is poor. I should have lowered my expectations when I saw the cover–one of those mass-market Avon-Camelot numbers that look like they’re part of a series. The kind with the border and standard typeface you saw in the spinning racks in the school library. Being a ghost story it s t r e t c h e s the narration out, trying to provide a spooky atmosphere. Maybe it’s just me, or it could be the times, but I wanted her to stop being such a whiner and show some initiative regarding finding out the truth. Not to keep going back to mom and dad. But it was written in 1987 after all. It goes a little farther than those “for kids” scary shows like “Goosebumps” and “Are You Afraid of the Dark”, but it doesn’t do anything to stand out among the tropes.

[mermaidatheart · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was my favorite book as a kid. I read it over and over; I can still recite lines from it. It really lit a fire in my imagination, for whatever reason. Blame this book for my enduring interest in ghost stories and the paranomal. But I wonder what I'd think of it if I re-read it as an adult? I'm almost afraid to try! (P.S: don't you love that girl's sweater on the cover?)

[engpunk77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved this in 5th grade!

[stevealtier · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great little story. Genuinely scary, a well crafted ghost fantasy. A first rate teen thriller. I have to add this to my favorites, 5 stars...

[cminter-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this book. Great ghost story but beware - it IS scary. I advice children to NOT read this before bedtime. It is very age appropriate for 4th or 5th grade through middle school. Every year students are comping at the bit to get to the ghost stories by Mary Downing Hahn and this one is always a favorite in my class. When former students come to see me, they always mention this book as one of their favorites.

[geniemagik · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once I started this book I couldn't put it down. I read the whole thing in one night. It was really scary. Nothing really bad happens in the story but tales of the past are full of death and doom. A very good halloween read.

[michaelbrookes-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this as a secret santa gift and while not my usual type of read I enjoyed it a lot. It's a ghost story aimed at younger readers, but don't let that put you off. It's well worth a read.

[christine3236 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Scary, well-written: excellent portrayal of a step-family and the painful secrets behind a young child's cruel behavior. Realistic and compassionate.
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[dianalynn5287-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For a children's book (and a ghost story) this one had a lot of heart. If I read this as a child I would have probably been frightened by it a bit. It wasn't scary, but it did hold my attention and overall, the ending was alright. Quick children's read for people who like ghost stories. 6.5/10.

[yona-414000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very nicely done. I liked this a lot. Very scary. As much as I appreciate good children's books I can't truly erase the effects of the last few decades of living and know what they would have been like had I read them when young but I bet this would have been totally nightmare worthy if I were 10.

[shojo_a · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm on a nostalgia kick this morning, finding all these books I loved as a kid. I was really into ghosts when I was in elementary school, and this was one of my favorite books. I can still remember the entire plot!

[jenj5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Molly and Michael just can't get along with their new step-sister Heather. Heather's a brat who's always trying to get them in trouble no matter how nice they are to her. Things get worse when they move to a church in the country, because in their backyard is a graveyard and in the graveyard is a mysterious grave with Heather's initials on it. Soon Heather is being even brattier than usual and warning Michael and Molly that they better "wait 'til Helen comes" because then they'll be sorry. Only Molly believes that Heather is seeing a ghost named Helen and is in danger of being possessed. Is there really a ghost? Can Molly convince her family in time? Will she be able to save Heather? Does she even want to save the brat? Curl up with this spine-tingler to find out!

I read this when I was in grade school, but this was much spookier than I remember it being. I'm actually surprised I read it considering how much I've always avoided scary movies and books. Re-read for 4th-6th Grade Book Club at the Algonquin Library - October 2008 selection.

[thelibraryhag · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Molly and her brother, Michael, are not thrilled to be leaving Baltimore to live out in the country in a renovated church. Molly really is not excited to be sharing a bedroom with her stepsister, Heather. Heather is a sullen child who resents her new step-brother and sister and especially her new step-mother. When Molly finds out their new home includes an old cemetery, she is less than thrilled, but Heather seems to be drawn there. Molly soon discovers that Heather has a friend in the cemetery and she does not think it is the imaginary kind. Molly is convinced that this friend, Helen, is a ghost. After doing a bit of research, she is also convinced that Helen plans to kill Heather and she is determined to stop the ghost, no matter what.

This is a good ghost story. It is just scary enough. And there is an excellent story about blended families and their issues as well as a lesson about the power of forgiveness. I am glad that I finally read this kid's ghost story. I will certainly be recommending it in the future.

[rwilliamson_53 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I finally got around to reading this book that my students who are love ghost stories have been recommending to each other. It was a winner. Molly’s family including her mother, brother, Michael, her mom’s new husband, and bratty stepsister, Heather, move into an old church in the country. Her stepsister claims to talk to Helen, the ghost of a seven year old who died a hundred years ago. Heather insists that when Helen comes she will get even with Molly. Although she tried to help Molly’s mother and stepfather believe that she is trying to cause trouble for Heather. Mary Downing Hahn’s books are the perfect blend of terror and family problems. The characters are likeable and realistic. Several of my students have read every one of her books in our collection. This might be a fun book club choice a special scary book for Halloween.

[hailey2parker1234 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a 13 year old girl who moves into a haunted house. Her mom gets married and she then has a little sister. Her little sister sneaks around to try to find rocks to collect when they find that their new house has a graveyard in the back. At that momennt the 10 year old sister meets a ghost named Helen. Helen then tries to drown her when the big sister saved her.
This book is a really good scary book. I love all of the books Mary Downing Hahn writes. This book happens to be one of my favorite ones. If you want to read a scary book about ghosts, then i think you should read this book. Mary Downing Hahn writes alot of scary books so if you like this one, then you will like all the rest of hers too! I rate this book a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. I rated it like that because there are some parts that are left hanging, and some that can be lead for a long time and not make sense.

[dayehsensei · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a quick read because it is certifiably scary. The story is told through the eyes of Molly, who does not get along at all with her creepy stepsister, Heather. When Molly's mother and father move the family (which includes Molly's brother Michael) out to the country, strange, paranormal events start to happen. Molly insists the series of events are taking place due to the fact that Heather communicates with ghosts, namely Helen, who happens to be the same age and have the same initials as Heather. Nobody believes Molly until things take a turn for the worst and she alone is left to save her stepsister's life.

[sqadams · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wait Till Helen Comes is a ghost story about a family that moves into a house connected to an old church. The cemetery behind the church holds the grave a young girl whose spirit is haunting one of the children which causes problems for the troubled new family.

This novel was highly entertaining and a real page turner! The characters have a deep back story that is woven into the main storyline. The ghost story builds throughout the novel and leads up to a chilling ending. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys ghost stories and young adult novels!

[laurels009 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I think this book is scary, strange, some sweet part but it has very nice part and scary ones to I give it 5 stars!!!!

[jawi0129 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book was okay but it could have been a little bit better. The story has a feeling that something like it happened before. It was a pretty played out thing

[beckers_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is about a little girl and her dad who marrys 2 kids mom but the little girl has a secret a really horrible secret that will drive you crazy as she goes along she annoys the butt out of her 2 siblings

[wsrobitaille · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Molly and her brother Michael have just moved to the country to live in a converted church with their mother, step father and their horrible new step sister Heather. Trying to get along with Heather is not easy, as the youngest of the family she constantly fights, lies, cries and tries to pressure her father into thinking that her new step-siblings are horrible to her when it’s really the other way around. When Molly finds out there is an old graveyard on the property she is uneasy, but when Heather starts going into the graveyard to talk to one of the graves and strange things start to happening, Molly is forced to confront her fears to protect her family from Heathers spooky new friend.

This book is a really great ghost story designed for younger readers. The characters and family dynamics are very realistic, which makes the things they do and how they react to the various developments seem perfectly natural. The details that go into fleshing out the characters and the plot really make this story enjoyable, and when you add in the ghost, well, you’ve got yourself the prefect read for a dark and stormy night.

This book was a YRCA winner in 1989.

[hailey9parker98 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a 13 year old girl who moves into a haunted house. Her mom gets married and she then has a little sister. Her little sister sneaks around to try to find rocks to collect when they find that their new house has a graveyard in the back. At that momennt the 10 year old sister meets a ghost named Helen. Helen then tries to drown her when the big sister saved her.