September 29, 1997
Wright's (Haunted Summer) lackluster ghost story about a haunted school comes off as more silly than eerie. New student Matt Barber quickly loses credibility with his peers when he tries to impress them with tall tales about his mother, who "does stunts" in the movies, and his "treasure hunter" father. Tagged as a liar, the fourth-grader has trouble convincing anyone he has seen a phantom teacher roaming the halls outside classroom 11. But the ghost--schoolmarm Whipple who "died at her desk, correcting papers"--is real, and she vows to haunt Matt until he improves his spelling. As unconvincing as the novel's strained plot is its cast of two-dimensional characters: a principal who shares Matt's spelling problem; a teacher who calls the Barber home regularly to report Matt's shortcomings; and an irritating apparition, who badgers students with the motto: "Try Hard. Then Try Harder." Fans of spooky school stories will find few thrills here. Ages 7-9.
July 1, 1998
The new kid in school, Matt has trouble making friends, because he has quickly and deservedly gotten a reputation for telling lies. When he is haunted by the terrifying ghost of a former teacher, everyone--his parents, teachers, and peers--thinks it's his overactive imagination and refuses to believe him. Some facile plot twists detract from this mildly suspenseful story.
(Copyright 1998 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
March 1, 1998
Gr 3-5-Matt Barber is the new kid in his fourth-grade class. His adjustment troubles are compounded by his poor spelling skills. He feels the need to impress his classmates with talk of his former big-city school and his "real" parents' professions as a treasure hunter and a stuntwoman. His classmates are not easily fooled, however, and Charlie, the class ringleader, and his gang begin to taunt and tease Matt with tales of a ghost living in the school. The ghost is a former Healy Elementary School teacher, Miss Whipple, whose pet peeve is poor spelling. She haunts those students, both past and present, who have not put forth the effort to improve. Wright adds levity to the story when it is revealed that the principal is Miss Whipple's former student, and she still has to "instruct" him from time to time. This is a solid ghost story woven around a number of universal subplots: making new friends, making an effort to improve oneself, and (one kids like to hear) the fact that grown-ups don't like to admit they are wrong. With just the right amount of scary moments wrapped around the theme of a young boy's lack of self-confidence, this story shows what you can do if you "try and then try harder." Rogers's full-page drawings reinforce Matt's feelings of frustration, fear, and isolation. Recommend this one to that new kid in town.-Kit Vaughan, J. B. Watkins Elementary School, Midlothian, VA
March 1, 1998
Gr. 2^-4. In the author's latest page-turner, Matt Barber, the new kid in school, is having trouble making friends. When he accepts a dare to find out if a ghost exists in school, he has no idea that his classmates have played a trick on him by leaving gerbils in the basement where he is to sleep. When Matt declares he has seen a real apparition, the spirit of an old school teacher (who, of course, appears only to him), he finds himself more isolated from the kids than he was before. The ghost eventually comes to the rescue by convincing Matt to try harder to win friends, and as he improves his attitude and curbs his temper, the ghost reveals herself to his classmates and wins him the respect he deserves. Contrivances aside, Wright offers another intriguing variation on the classic ghost narrative, one that focuses on emotions and maturity instead of fear. Matt's honest sharing of his feelings of loneliness will encourage countless young readers. ((Reviewed March 1, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)