Let the Specter-Detecting Begin

Gr 3–6—A book for children who don't want their scary fiction to be too scary and who enjoy liberal doses of corny humor. Malcolm and Dandy, both 10, are best buds who share a love of adventure. Malcolm has a penchant for quirky science tools that usually don't work so the boys are surprised to find that his recently purchased Ecto-Handheld-Automatic-Heat-Sensitive-Laser-Enhanced Specter Detector actually functions. The boys decide to unleash the ghost of Herbert McBleaky. Unfortunately, the loony, prank-loving ghost follows them home and terrorizes Malcolm's sister. It is after this incident that Malcolm realizes he must send off for the companion implement, which includes a ghost zapper, because once he detects a ghost, he needs to get rid of it. The two other stories follow a similar format, with funny escapades, slight suspense, and ghost encounters. This book could be used as an introduction to the scary, comedic genre in the vein of meatier titles such as James Howes's Bunnicula (Atheneum, 1979) or Roald Dahl's The BFG (Viking, 1985). Black-and-white cartoons enhance the story, and a fun list of the top 15 ways to detect a ghost, spirit, or poltergeist is included at the end.—Julie Shatterly, W.A. Bess Elementary School, Gastonia, NC