The Great Ghost Rescue

The ghosts of Britain need a sanctuary. Castles with central heating, bogs drained for motorways, dismal forests cleared for car parks-there are few places left for a respectable ghost to haunt. Humphrey the Horrible (actually his name is simply Humphrey-he added "the Horrible" to help himself become horrible) is a small, mostly unsuccessful ghost in a family of ghastly ghouls. His mother worries. But Humphrey has enough pluck to befriend a smart, politically aware schoolboy, Rick Henderson, who is willing to take the ghosts' cause right to the top, to number 10 Downing Street-home of the Prime Minister.

From Publishers Weekly

Fans of Dial-A-Ghost will eagerly welcome the new flock of floating phantoms in The Great Ghost Rescue, Eva Ibbotson's wry companion novel, illus. by Kevin Hawkes. The ghosts' housing shortage continues, and human hero Rick wants the British government to do something about it. But even after the ghosts are settled, they're greeted by some unwelcome visitors: the exorcists (could there be another sequel in the works?). Ages 8-14.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-7-Cast out when their spooky castle gets modernized into a holiday camp, Humphrey and his ghost family search for a new home. They meet a friendly schoolboy named Rick who decides they should start a "ghost sanctuary," since human expansion has ruined so many ghoulish spots in England. When the sanctuary turns out to be a trap meant to exorcise all of the ghosts, Rick and Humphrey must save the day. Ibbotson's sense of humor is in fine form, especially in her detailed descriptions of the various ghostly characters. Headless Aunt Hortensia and Humphrey's brother, George the Screaming Skull, are just two of the repulsive, yet endearing figures. There's a bizarre warmth of feeling between humans and ghosts, as when Rick agrees to let a sickly young vampire bat suck a bit of his blood in a gross, but weirdly tender scene. The humans are mostly exaggerated caricatures, which works fine for most of them, including the evil exorcist, who neatly ends up as a ghost in need of sanctuary himself. However, Rick and his human friends who help are less engaging than other Ibbotson protagonists. Plot contrivances that keep the story moving, including a convenient local witch coven and a surprisingly understanding Prime Minister, fit with the lighthearted tone, but also prevent the story from becoming truly involving. The book still has considerable appeal, though, because of the deliciously consistent macabre humor and the entertaining ensemble of ghosts.Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, ORCopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. Hilariously disgusting descriptions of ghouls' various scary attributes keep the tone light in this humorous ghost story with an environmental twist. Ghosts all over England are being driven out of their creepy habitats as castles are renovated for tourists, and not-so-scary Humphrey and his ghost family must flee their ancestral home. Attracted to a boys' school by the particularly smelly socks of one of the students, they meet up with student activist Rick Henderson, who is intrigued by the ghosts' plight and agrees to conduct them to Parliament to convince the Prime Minister to create a ghost sanctuary. Rick thinks success is at hand when Lord Bullhaven donates his deserted, seaside castle to the cause, but the sneaky Lord actually intends to trap all the ghosts and exorcise them. Unlikely hero Humphrey saves the day in this appealing tale that is scary enough to thrill and funny enough to provide some good laughs. Diane FooteCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Eva Ibbotson, born Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner (21 January 1925 ��� 20 October 2010), was an Austrian-born British novelist, known for her children's books. Some of her novels for adults have been successfully reissued for the young adult market in recent years. For the historical novel Journey to the River Sea (Macmillan, 2001), she won the Smarties Prize in category 9���11 years, garnered unusual commendation as runner up for the Guardian Prize, and made the Carnegie, Whitbread, and Blue Peter shortlists. She was a finalist for the 2010 Guardian Prize at the time of her death. Her last book, The Abominables, was one of eight books on the longlist for the same award in 2012.

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