  | Ghosted Author: Fry, Michael | |
| Price: $20.28 | ||
Summary:
One minute Grimm was saving a cat in a tree during a lightning storm, and the next, he's pulling pranks on his best friend Larry in his new ghostly form. When the two best friends realize that there's something keeping Grimm tethered to their world, they decide that finishing their Totally To-Do bucket list is the perfect way to help Grimm with his unfinished business.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 2.70 Points: 2.0 Quiz: 515225 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (11/15/20)
School Library Journal (02/19/21)
Booklist (12/01/20)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (12/01/20)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 12/01/2020 In the heavily illustrated format beloved of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate fans, the author of Bully Bait (2013) takes on the same ever-popular topic—but with some unusual nuances. Grief turns to delight for shy middle schooler Larry when his extroverted bestie, Grimm, killed by lightning, comes back as a ghost. They conclude, after some thought, that Grimm has left something in this life unfinished—perhaps from their cherished bucket list? A couple of embarrassing false starts later, Larry uneasily discovers that Grimm had spread false rumors about widely mocked classmate Boogie MacFarland’s personal habits. Could rescuing the silent, hulking Boogie from his tormentors be the key to sending Grimm on? Fry provides passages with an openly therapeutic focus and works in multiple side plots, but along with antic misadventures, comical line drawings, and droll punchlines aplenty, dishes up a pair of protagonists who, despite the fact that one is dead, were plainly made for each other. By the tidy end, Larry is at last prepared to bid one friend goodbye and welcome a new one. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 02/19/2021 Gr 3–5—After Larry's best friend Grimm dies, he returns as a ghost. Initially Larry and Grimm get along almost like old times, but they can't figure out why Grimm can't move on from the living world. After trying to work through the list of silly things they wanted to do together but didn't have the chance, Larry realizes that Grimm's unfinished business has to do with Boogie, the big kid at school everyone picks on. When Grimm was alive, he made up lies about Boogie and everyone believed them. Larry and Grimm hatch a plan to make Boogie the most popular kid in school, but that's not what Boogie wants. Grimm is able to move on once Larry helps to right Grimm's wrongs. Together, Larry, Grimm, and Boogie learn what it means to be a good friend. This novel deals with some heavy topics as Larry works to cope with the death of his best friend, but the seriousness is balanced with humor. Interspersed among the text, black line cartoon illustrations support the overall friendly and positive tone, depicting Larry as white and Grimm as Black. VERDICT This is a unique middle grade approach to the death of a friend that makes sense of loss through humor.—Lindsay Persohn, Univ. of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
