By Blue Balliett
Amazon rating: 4.4/5, grades 3-7
Good Reads: 3/5
Common Sense Media: not reviewed
4Rbooks: 3/6, grades 6-8
291 pages
Synopsis:
Mary W. Chase is worried. Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts is famous for its history, its original families, original houses, and ghosts. But housing developers are gutting these old homes and modernizing them. In the process, history is being lost and ghosts are being displaced, possibly disappearing forever.
With the help of seven children, a father, a grandfather, and various other residents of the island Mary and her crew work to slow the pace of destruction and enhance the understanding of the importance of family and community.
Strange things begin to happen. Noises are heard everywhere, items disappear or move for no reason, shadows and outlines of people are seen when no one is around. Are the ghosts fighting back? It seems that the residents of the island, living and dead, want to do whatever is necessary to stop the changes occurring on the island.
Like the end of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, pay attention. Not everything is as it seems to be.
Parental Guidance: medium-high
This is a ghost story told by ghosts.
A boat full of children and parents sinks killing everyone on board.
There is a story of another child that dies in an accident.
There are numerous interactions between the living and the dead.
Recommendation:
I have been a fan of Blue Balliett. I enjoyed her Chasing Vermeer series and the book Hold Fast. This book showcased her writing skills but at a much higher level than most children could handle. An argument could be made that this is an adult novel masquerading as a children’s book. The beginning is very slow and challenging to understand, though the writing is beautifully descriptive. The story picks up from the middle to the end and there is a very inventive twist to the ending.
A capable and sophisticated upper elementary or middle school student could work their way through this story, but they will need to be patient. I think an adult would enjoy it more, especially the notes section after the story is completed. This would be a touch classroom read because of the language, but it might work with a small group of high-level readers with opportunities for enrichment vocabulary work and historical studies.
From a Christian perspective, ghost/spiritual stories are always tough and challenging. My perspective has always been that, if they are interested in the story, let the children read it, but provide the proper Christian perspective as a counterbalance. What does the Bible say about life after death? What does the Bible say about ghosts and spirits? Use it as a chance to increase their understanding of Biblical lessons.
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