A grouchy, washed-up author, Ignatius B. Grumply is forced into writing a final installment of his children's book series, Ghost Tamer, because he has squandered his fortune and needs the cash. Wanting to find an excluded and silent getaway to serve as his writing retreat, Ignatius rents out the dilapidated, Victorian mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road for the summer. Unbeknownst to him, the home is occupied by the son of the homeowners who are away on a ghost hunting trip. Ignatius is perturbed to say the least and is challenged by the bothersome boy and his supposed ghost friend. You see the story unfold through letters, pictures, and manufactured advertisements and newspapers. As the story progresses, you're not sure who will end up liking whom or if the final book in the Ghost Tamer series will ever come to exist.
Klise, K. (2009). 43 old cemetery road. Orlando, Fl.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Review: School Library Journal
When former best-selling children’s author, I.B. Grumply
moves into a Victorian mansion in Ghastly, IL, to write the latest installment
in his “Ghost Tamer” series, he is hindered by more than just his overwhelming
case of writer’s block. He is dismayed to find the mansion already occupied by
an 11-year-old boy named Seymour Hope, his cat, and Olive C. Spence, a ghost
living in the cupola who is unhappy because she never managed to publish her
books in her lifetime. Similar to the Klise’s other offerings, the story is
successfully told through letters, newspaper clippings, drawings, and related
devices. Although Grumply has written ghost tales, he himself is a nonbeliever,
and Olive and Seymour attempt to convince him. They then collaborate on a book
about their own experiences, including the possibility of the demolition of the
mansion, a ghost who falls in love with the occupant of her house, and Seymour’s
parents and their lack of responsibility for his care. This first title in a
new series will appeal to readers, especially reluctant readers; as it moves
quickly and leaves its audience eager for book two, which is announced in this
ghastly and fun tale.
Shaw, M. (2009). 43 old cemetery road: Dying to meet you. School Library Journal, 55(5), 112.
Impressions:
43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You is a delightful read with plenty to keep the reader engaged. There are so many places for the eyes to look on each page. The epistolary style of the novel adds so much life and spice to the characters. The use of the different fonts and words makes each character's personality pop. There is a ghost element in the story, but amazingly, the feeling you get about the ghost and other characters is supremely human. The way the characters grow and change throughout the story and unlikely circumstances is refreshing and light-hearted. Young readers would love this book for its easy-to-read, conversational approach as well as all of the visuals that breathe more life into what's happening. The small, approachable chunks that make each letter create an approachable reading task that would be useful for reluctant readers who need a lot to keep them interested and successful when reading. In addition, because this series has simple problems with emotional solutions, it is relatable for young children who are emotionally involved with reading. They may not like reading because the story is difficult to understand or keep track of. 43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You does a great job of illustrating story elements and highlighting the feelings of the characters so all story elements become clear and important to the reader.
Library Use:
This novel could be used in a co-taught lesson with the language arts teachers about how to construct and write a letter. The librarian could provide examples of other important letters and communication and then bridge information learned about letter writing to skills and expectations for today's digital culture and online communication. It could be used as an illustration for comparison between offline and online communication. This one book could be used as an introduction book for other books and materials available in the library collection, providing students with another type of fiction and/or non-fiction to explore.
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