The Ghost's Grave

Gr 5–8—Josh is forced to live with his stepfather's elderly aunt for the summer while his parents are in India. Aunt Ethel is eccentric, living in an old house far from town where she believes that her dead sister has been reincarnated into a peacock. But Josh also finds her somewhat endearing when she serves spaghetti for breakfast and he learns that she's an excellent baker. Meeting the ghost of a dead miner adds interest to Josh's life as does the miner's request to bury a leg he lost with the rest of his body. This mission puts Josh in danger when he discovers some money that was stolen years ago and the thief returns for it. Peg Kehret's tale (Dutton, 2005) is slow to evolve and Josh's confrontation with the thief is not particularly terrorizing. Charles Carroll never varies the pitch or tone of Josh's voice, even when he should be feeling panic or fear. This makes Josh sound earnest but too mellow at times when he should be scared or desperate.—Edith Ching, University of Maryland, College Park