Donald can see ghosts - and talk to them. His friend Merry can just about make them out. His mum is a clairvoyant, and is sometimes hired to talk to ghosts to put them to rest. His dad is dead - but lives on as a ghost in a big house in the woods playing records.
Donald's mum hears word that there are ghostly goings on on the South West coast, so Donald and Merry accompany her to a caravan holiday park to investigate. Unfortunately, the rather unpleasant boy Danny also turns up there with his family and latches onto them. They also encounter the scary Estella, a very clever medium, who hatches an evil plan to get rid of the ghostly monsters once and for all. Donald finds himself in a life threatening situation - how will he get out of this alive?
This is a very funny story for about 10 year olds - Ally really gets you giggling on each page. Sometimes the writing and the story is a little loose and haphazard, but overall I really enjoyed it. I also loved her last book - Midnight Pirates.
I've only read one of David Levithan's novels, and that was co-written with Rachel Cohn 'Dash and Lily's Book of Dares'. I just loved it. I could see why fans of John Green liked his style of writing, and of course vice-versa. Even though 'Marly's Ghost' has just been released over here, it was actually first published in 2005, early on in Levithan's writing career. It's an interesting one - I don't know whether I liked it or not. It's a reworking of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol', but the reasons for the ghostly visits are not because Ben, the main character, (whose name we find out near the end is actually short for Ebenezer Scrooge) is a miser, but because he is finding it hard to move on in life after the death of his girlfriend, Marly. He withdraws himself from life, family and friends and cannot understand how life is continuing around him. The ghosts try to point out that he can keep the memory of Marly in his heart, but not like a ball and chain. He must let go, and carry on with his life.
I adore 'A Christmas Carol', and that could be the main reason why I wasn't sure about David's version. It's literally a copy, but slightly mixed up in places, so I knew what was coming and could guess the ending, which always spoils the reading of a book. David acknowledges at the end of his book that readers would either love it or hate it, but he hoped they would just go along with his version just for the pure enjoyment of it.
I'm sure true fans of Levithan will love it, but the jury's out for me.
Before her death, the wonderful author Eva Ibbotson (Journey to the River Sea is just gorgeous) planned an outline for a new story with her son Toby Ibbotson. This book is the finished product.
Daniel and his friend Charlotte live in Markham Street, a quiet cul-de-sac. Unbeknownst to all the residents there, Jack Bluffit, head of the city's Department of Planning, is planning to bulldoze the whole area and erect a sparkly new shopping centre in its place. When Daniel and Charlotte find out about it, they try their best to stop the demolitions.
Meanwhile, three Great Hagges decide that the ghosts of today are just not scary enough, and so set up Mountwood School for Ghosts. There they teach them how to literally scare humans to death.
When Daniel and Charlotte's actions to stop the building work fail, they decide to seek the help of the three Great Hagges and their ghostly students. Surely that will put a stop to all the devastation?
While I really enjoyed this book, it almost felt like 2 separate stories - one of the two children, and one about the ghosts. It's only really at the end that the two come together. I must admit that I rather preferred the story of Daniel and Charlotte. I lost a bit of interest in all the different ghosts and their stories from the past. But that said, I finished it in a day and a half and would recommend it to our customers.
I was very excited about reading this, as I had really enjoyed the first book in the series, The Screaming Staircase. I was not disappointed. It was great to be reunited with Tony, Lucy and George and follow them on to their next case.
There have been strange ghostly sightings at a derelict sanatorium, and at a grave at Kensal Green cemetery. Lockwood & Co are hired to investigate, but to their dismay their greatest business rivals, the Fittes agency, are also hired to work with them. The case turns into a battle of wits as they race each other to solve the case, but more importantly, to try to stay alive. A relic from book one, the titular Whispering Skull, plays a big part in their case - both a help and a hindrance. And what of the strange, secret room in Tony's house which Lucy and George are forbidden to enter?
The story is captivating, the ghostly scenes are full of suspense, but my favourite bits are the really humorous parts when Tony, Lucy and George are talking amongst themselves. There are some great one-liners, and some brilliant put-downs, mostly about poor George. I really hope a new character who appears in this book, Flo, reappears in the next one. She's brillliant. There are two things that I can't get out of my head while I'm reading these books: 1) they are set in modern-day London - I keep visualising Victorian times; 2) Lucy is the narrator - I keep getting Tony's voice in my head!
I finished this far too quickly, which of course just means I'll have even longer to wait for the third in the series!
Summer's Shadow
by Anna Wilson
Summer is living with her best friend Jess and Jess's mum. Summer's mum was hit by a car and is in hospital. One night, just before midnight, Summer's mobile phone rings even though it is switched off. When Summer answers it, she hears her mum's faint voice "Bye love". The next morning comes the news that everyone was dreading - Summer's mum died - at just before midnight.
At her mum's request in her will, Summer is sent to live with a distant uncle, who lives in Penzance in Cornwall with his wife and son. Summer has never met this uncle, in fact it is the first she has ever heard about an uncle in Penzance. When she arrives, she gets a frosty reception from the son, and the wife does not even make an appearance. Why has Summer's arrival met with such anger? What are the strange noises she hears in their large and draughty house near the shore? Is it true that the house is haunted?
Summer takes comfort by seeking out the small private beach nearby, where she meets and befriends Zach. But although he offers a friendly face and time away from her hostile cousin, he is not able to provide answers to her questions about what is going on in the house and why she keeps seeing the ghost of her mother. She must seek out the truth on her own.
I quite enjoyed this book, even though I was very frustrated with the uncle - he never wanted to answer any of Summer's questions, and Summer never seemed to push the matter. She was also always quite rude to Zach and he seemed to put with it - any normal person would've just walked away.
Apart from these small matters, the book has lovely descriptions of the small nearby cove, and you can just imagine the large, dusty mansion with its unused rooms and dark attic. The kind of place I'd love to live in!
Because of the small mention of a swear word, I would recommend this for children 12+.
