Monstrous fun, spun around some serious messages.
A sudden move from spooky Scareville to the all-human town of Smithville leaves little Ghostie feeling like a real outsider in school.
Though Ghostie is happy in Scareville, “a very diverse town filled with ghosts, witches, vampires, skeletons, mummies, monsters, and werewolves,” he makes a brave effort to fit in at Smithville Elementary after his mom accepts a new job in a new locale as a “human relations agent,” charged with dispelling stereotypes about ghosts. Unfortunately, everyone else at school is a human, though depicted in the color illustrations on nearly every page of this early chapter book in an assortment of skin colors. Ghostie makes several “BOO” boos, such as bringing a bunch of terrifying spiders and eyeballs to a class birthday party. Worse yet, bullying classmate Kevin quickly saddles him with the humiliating moniker of “Grossie Ghostie.” Back home, not even Ghostie’s favorite dinner of frog nuggets and stench fries can pull him out of a “franken-funk.” Readers feeling Ghostie’s pain may be heartened when he bonds with another classmate who shares his interest in spiders and breaks the ice with everyone else by sharing a family photo album at show and tell, which prompts a flurry of interested questions, from “Can you get sunburned?” to “Do ghosts poop?” The takeaways are clear and sweetly leavened by the goofy, supernatural-themed wordplay; readers will have a ball.
Monstrous fun, spun around some serious messages. (Fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: Aug. 12, 2025
ISBN: 9780593753156
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to...
A group of talking farm animals catches wind of the farm owner’s intention to burn the barn (with them in it) for insurance money and hatches a plan to flee.
Bond begins briskly—within the first 10 pages, barn cat Burdock has overheard Dewey Baxter’s nefarious plan, and by Page 17, all of the farm animals have been introduced and Burdock is sharing the terrifying news. Grady, Dewey’s (ever-so-slightly) more principled brother, refuses to go along, but instead of standing his ground, he simply disappears. This leaves the animals to fend for themselves. They do so by relying on their individual strengths and one another. Their talents and personalities match their species, bringing an element of realism to balance the fantasy elements. However, nothing can truly compensate for the bland horror of the premise. Not the growing sense of family among the animals, the serendipitous intervention of an unknown inhabitant of the barn, nor the convenient discovery of an alternate home. Meanwhile, Bond’s black-and-white drawings, justly compared to those of Garth Williams, amplify the sense of dissonance. Charming vignettes and single- and double-page illustrations create a pastoral world into which the threat of large-scale violence comes as a shock.
Ironically, by choosing such a dramatic catalyst, the author weakens the adventure’s impact overall and leaves readers to ponder the awkward coincidences that propel the plot. (Animal fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-544-33217-1
Page Count: 256
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: March 31, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2015
The second installment in this spirited series is a hit.
A new baby coming means Ryan has lots of opportunities to grow love.
Ryan has so much to look forward to this summer—she is going to be a big sister, and she finally gets to go to church camp! But new adventures bring challenges, too. Ryan feels like the baby is taking forever to arrive, and with Mom on bed rest, she isn’t able to participate in the family’s typical summer activities. Ryan’s Dad is still working the late shift, which means he gets home and goes to bed when she and her older brother, Ray, are waking up, so their quality daddy-daughter time is limited to one day a week. When the time for camp finally arrives, Ryan is so worried about bugs, ghosts, and sharing a cabin that she wonders if she should go at all. Watson’s heroine is smart and courageous, bringing her optimistic attitude to any challenge she faces. Hard topics like family finances and complex relationships with friends are discussed in an age-appropriate way. Watson continues to excel at crafting a sense of place; she transports readers to Portland, Oregon, with an attention to detail that can only come from someone who has loved that city. Ryan, her family, and friends are Black, and occasional illustrations by Mata spotlight their joy and make this book shine.
The second installment in this spirited series is a hit. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 27, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0058-8
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
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