"There are several opinions that people hold regarding ghosts, and not one of them would clinch an argument." So Richard Peck, betraying a twinge of embarrassment, sort of backs in to the ghost story genre. But once under way he has a great time, calling up a classic spook, little Inez Dumaine who wanders about the Armsworth barn leaving wet footprints, casting a bright pink aura, and muttering cryptic phrases like "my hoops, my hoops." Inez also warns young Alexander Armsworth of an impending trolley disaster, and the advance information makes Alexander a hero and the Armsworth ghost a cause celebre overnight. The ensuing mayhem is awkward for Alexander's social climbing mother and sister Lucille, and a delight to the plucky spider-legged girl next door, Blossom Culp, who finds her faith in THE UNSEEN vindicated and at the same time makes money sneaking newspaper reporters into the barn. But it takes eccentric Uncle Miles to set things right; he alone knows the true story of Inez's watery fate, and takes Inez's recovered bones back to New Orleans for burial, lodging them (along with Alexander and Blossom) with a very discreetly disguised madam. This haunting is slapstick most of the way, and anyone who worries about the tender feelings of Inez (or for that matter poor sister Lucille) might find it all impossibly silly. But Peck throws in enough scary moments to prove that he'd be a winner in any campfire storytelling session, and in that spirit he will keep his audience giggling and just a little frightened at the same time.
Pub Date: April 28, 1975
ISBN: 0140386718
Page Count: 101
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1975
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Funny delivery, but some jokes really miss the mark.
An animal ghost seeks closure after enduring aquatic atrocities.
In this sequel to The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter (2020), sixth grader Rex is determined to once again use his ability to communicate with dead animals for the greater good. A ghost narwhal’s visit gives Rex his next opportunity in the form of the clue “bad water.” Rex enlists Darvish—his Pakistani American human best friend—and Drumstick—his “faithful (dead) chicken”—to help crack the case. But the mystery is only one of Rex’s many roadblocks. For starters, Sami Mulpepper hugged him at a dance, and now she’s his “accidental girlfriend.” Even worse, Darvish develops one of what Rex calls “Game Preoccupation Disorders” over role-playing game Monsters & Mayhem that may well threaten the pair’s friendship. Will Rex become “a Sherlock without a Watson,” or can the two make amends in time to solve the mystery? This second outing effectively carries the “ghost-mist” torch from its predecessor without feeling too much like a formulaic carbon copy. Spouting terms like plausible deniability and in flagrante delicto, Rex makes for a hilariously bombastic (if unlikable) first-person narrator. The over-the-top style is contagious, and black-and-white illustrations throughout add cartoony punchlines to various scenes. Unfortunately, scenes in which humor comes at the expense of those with less status are downright cringeworthy, as when Rex, who reads as White, riffs on the impossibility of his ever pronouncing Darvish’s surname or he plays dumb by staring into space and drooling.
Funny delivery, but some jokes really miss the mark. (Paranormal mystery. 8-12)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5523-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2021
Rollicking good fun.
A pacy tale of a heist gone wrong.
Twelve-year-old New Yorker Ria Bailey, who has a “not-in-the-picture-at-all British dad” and a Bengali Indian mom, is about to start middle school with her best friends, Ghanaian immigrant tech genius Miracle Owusu and athletic Irish and Mexican American activist Annie Hernandez. When Ria’s art historian mother, a vocal advocate for repatriating looted artefacts, is pushed to resign from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ria faces the prospect of leaving the only home she’s ever known. The plot thickens when a ruby resembling one stolen from the museum arrives at their apartment, along with a cryptic message. Worried about Ma’s possible involvement, Ria and her friends plot to return the ruby during their school’s annual museum sleepover. But their attempted reverse heist meets with unforeseen complications. They also encounter Zakir, a mysterious—and distractingly cute—boy. Before long, Ria and friends are racing through the city, dodging menacing strangers, meeting a tech billionaire, and unmasking a long-hidden conspiracy. A brisk pace and well-developed characters enliven this adventure that celebrates the diverse immigrant communities that keep New York thriving; a supporting cast of helpful uncles and aunties from different communities aids the girls in their adventures. DasGupta deftly weaves themes of cultural identity and history into a fun, contemporary storyline that explores the impact of colonization and capitalism on the Global South. Some suspension of disbelief is required, but the story builds to a satisfying finale.
Rollicking good fun. (author’s note) (Mystery. 9-13)Pub Date: April 21, 2026
ISBN: 9781338766875
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2026
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