Claudia Mills, Ph.D. (Children's Literature)
Nobody could be in a better position to write a White House ghost story than Judith St. George, author of So You Want to Be President?. Here she serves up a light but tasty tale of a determined presidential daughter (and aspiring mystery writer) who wants to spend the night in the Lincoln Bedroom to see if it is indeed haunted. When Mom (a.k.a. Madame President) refuses to let Kay-Kay have this privilege, instead dispensing it to Uncle Matt, Kay-Kay and her younger sister decide to play a practical joke on Uncle Matt by staging a ghostly visitation. The scheme predictably backfires with comic, pleasurably scary, and ultimately heart-warming results. Aside from one unnecessary and problematic element (it’s jarringly implausible to see brilliant classmate Borden, a voracious reader who devours medical journal articles and tomes of presidential lore, suddenly revealed as struggling with dyslexia), the story is pure fun. St. George indulges every reader’s fantasy of what it would be like to live in the White House, detailing the private bowling alley and swimming pool, the personal chef, and accommodating Secret Service agents as she crafts a light-hearted and enjoyable story starring the two First Daughters of the first woman President. 2007, Holiday House, $16.95. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 19))
Now that they live in the White House, 11-year-old KayKay Granger has the perfect opportunity to hone her mystery-writing skills by sleeping in Lincoln's bedroom. But first she has to convince her mother, the president, to let her do it and her more timid younger sister to keep her company. After all, the rumors of its haunting might just be true. St. George, author of numerous mysteries as well as So You Want to Be President (2000), provides an imaginative glimpse behind the scenes at the White House in this ghost story for middle-grade readers. The premise, being children of the first female president, is intriguing. Character development takes a back seat to plot and setting; the off-limits Family Floor is the centerpiece here, with detailed descriptions of the long hallways and lavishly decorated rooms. While KayKay and Annie are thoroughly frightened by a parental trick, the actual ghost KayKay encounters is presented as completely ordinary, perhaps just a dream. A solid and not especially scary introduction to the ghost-story genre. 2007, Holiday House, 160p, $16.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 8 to 12. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Laura D'Amato (Library Media Connection, February 2008)
This is a pleasant tale revolving around the commonly held belief that the White House is haunted. KayKay, an 11-year-old, and her younger sister, Annie, are settling into life in the White House after their mother is elected President. When they learn the White House may be haunted and that Lincoln's spirit supposedly appears in the Lincoln Bedroom, the girls launch a plan to sleep in the bedroom. Along the way, a practical joke on their uncle goes awry, and KayKay works on writing a mystery. Eventually, the girls are allowed in the Lincoln Bedroom where they think they see his ghost, but it is their mom playing a practical joke on them. The author has created realistic interactions between characters and authentic dialogue, along with a casual incorporation of some history regarding the White House and some of the Presidents. The subplot, involving KayKay's desire to write a mystery, may inspire readers to do some writing of their own. Readers are cleverly left wondering if KayKay saw the ghost of Lincoln's son, Robert Todd. This fast-paced tale with a ghost-story element will entertain readers and might encourage them to learn more about the White House and the Presidents. Recommended. 2007, Holiday House, 128pp., $16.95 hc.. Ages 9 to 13.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, February 2008 (Vol. 61, No. 6))
Being daughter of the president has some perks, eleven-year-old KayKay concedes, but what she really wants is a chance to spend the night ghost-hunting in the Lincoln Bedroom. Her stern presidential mother initially forbids it, putting KayKay’s uncle in there instead—or so KayKay thinks until a practical joke on her uncle results in her awakening and startling a visiting dignitary, perhaps creating an international incident. Her mother eventually relents and allows KayKay and her sister to spend the night in the historic bedroom, but is KayKay after the ghost or is the ghost after KayKay? The story is strained and cheesy, with educational tidbits about the White House tending to be obtrusively wedged into the narrative. The book does, however, capably meld a humorous family story with an exotic setting; the unintimidating pleasures of family pranks and goofy sibling bickering gain interest from their occurrence in the corridors of history amid hordes of staff and enviable perks such as the White House chef and recreational facilities. Kids usually resistant to history may succumb to the lure of this private jaunt around a possibly haunted White House Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, Holiday House, 153p., $16.95. Grades 2-4.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2008)
After KayKay's mother is elected president of the United States, KayKay has to adjust to life in the White House. When tales of a ghost tempt her to sleep in Lincoln's bedroom, KayKay must cope with her fears--and the question of whether ghosts really exist. The plot can be unfocused, leaving loose ends, but the characters are likable. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2007, Holiday, 153pp, 16.95. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.

Nancy Tobias (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 20, No. 4))
KayKay and Annie Granger are getting used to living in the White House after their mother is elected President. When the girls hear the rumor that the White House is haunted, KayKay talks Annie into investigating the mystery. This is a good book for mystery-lovers. You just can’t wait to see what happens next. This story is especially timely since there is currently a woman in the race for President. Fiction. Grades 5 and up. 2007, Holiday House, 153p., $16.95. Ages 10 up.