HOME SCHOOL BOOK REVIEW
Book: A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Publisher: Random House, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-85652-5 (trade)
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-95652-2 (library binding)
ISBN-13: 978-0-375-89467-1 (e-book)
Related websites: www.magictreehouse.com (series), www.randomhouse.com/kids (publisher)
Language level: 1 (nothing objectionable)
Reading level: Ages 7-12
Rating: 4 stars (GOOD)
Reviewed by Wayne S. Walker
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Osborne, Mary Pope. A Ghost Tale for Christmas Time (published in 2010 by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House Inc., New York City, NY). What can two kids do to inspire a writer who’s lost hope? The Magic Tree House is back to take Jack and Annie to the foggy streets of Victorian London to help a struggling young writer named Charles who now has everything but is haunted by sad memories of the past to keep from giving up his writing. As they see the contrast between the wealthy and the poor, they try to meet the writer by dressing up as chimney sweeps, but a boy steals Jack’s bag and when Jack takes it back, Jack himself is accused of being the thief.
Only when Charles rescues the brother and sister from being thrown in jail do they learn the secrets that haunt him. Will their magic violin and the ghosts of the past, present, and future enable them to help him. And who is this famous writer anyway? Can you guess? I happen to prefer the Magic Tree House books that are mainly historical in nature rather than the ones that deal more in mythology, but if you can get past the magic and spookiness of this one, which is #44, and these things are very mild here, especially given the background of the plot, it’s a very interesting story. Volume #45 is announced as A Crazy Day with Cobras.
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