Author uses ghost stories to tell kids about history
Naperville writer Katharine Kendzy Gingold is not really claiming some local sites are haunted ... but you never know.
"With so much history in these old places, how could they not be haunted?" Gingold says.
That's the premise behind her most recent book, "Haunted by History: Spectres in a Small Town."
Published last fall around Halloween, the book looks at five area sites that can be visited at Naper Settlement, Naperville's 19th-century living-history museum, and suggests ghosts with stories to tell might inhabit them.
For instance, did Illinois politician and Lincoln rival Stephen Douglas really see the nightly nursemaid in the settlement's Murray House - the home of Robert Murray, a lawyer, judge, sheriff and friend of Douglas?
Murray was the nephew of Naperville founder Joseph Naper and appeared in Gingold's previous book, "Ruth by Lake and Prairie," a fictionalized account of Naperville's founding written for young readers.
She's aiming at the same audience in this book, Gingold said.
"I'm continuing to look for ways to bring history to kids," Gingold said. "It seems like all kids like to read a good scary story. I thought this would be a good way to slip in some history facts."
In addition to the Murray House, the sites include the Martin Mitchell Mansion, the Daniels House, the Joe Naper hand-drawn fire wagon and the log cabin. The log cabin was moved from outside Naperville and so, Gingold suggests, is haunted by a ghost from somewhere else.
Published by Gnu Ventures Company, a business owned by Gingold and her husband, Don, the 71-page book is geared to readers ages 10-14.
Gingold said she was inspired by a South Carolina teacher who used pirates to teach about history. She is hoping local educators take advantage of "Teaching in the Haunted Classroom" materials she has prepared to use the ghost stories as an interdisciplinary learning activity.
"Haunted by History" sells for $9.95 and is available at Naper Settlement, Anderson's Bookshop and Barnes & Noble in Naperville. It also may be ordered at Amazon.com and from Gingold's Web site, hauntedbyhistory.com.
<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News">Author Katherine Kendzy Gingold has two area appearances slated: </p> <p class="News">• The Illinois Author Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 18 at Fountaindale Public Library, 300 W. Briarcliff Road, Bolingbrook. Info: <a href="http://www.kategingold.com" target="new">kategingold.com</a>.</p> <p class="News">• Lisle Woman's Club at 7 p.m. May 6 at the Lisle Police Station, 5040 Lincoln Ave., Lisle. Info: (630) 241-0255.</p>