A good number of years ago, after living in Los Angeles, a most modern city, I moved to Providence, Rhode Island, a very old city. It was a little like going back in time. What's more I moved into an old house which was full of nooks and crannies. Because of it's old age, I kept wondering who and what people lived there. I began to imagine a story--a ghost story--and pretty soon I was working hard on Something Upstairs. It takes place in the house I was living in.
After the book was written a curious thing happened. Lots of kids--and grown ups--came by the house and stared up at it in hopes they would see the ghost. And guess what: some even claimed they did see it!