Ghastly Ghosts by Teresa Bateman


Ghastly Ghosts by Teresa Bateman
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Old Dave inherits a lonely old house from his uncle―a nice enough place, if a bit lonely. One cold night he hears a voice: Ghastly ghosts in the old coal shed! At first he tries to ignore it, but he hears it again and again―Ghastly ghosts in the old coal shed! And when the fireplace runs out of coal, Dave has no choice but to brave the dreaded coal shed…and whatever dwells within. But Old Dave’s got an idea that just might work out for him AND the spirits.

Do ghosts make good roommates?

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I adored this story’s approach to creative problem solving. Most people will never live in a haunted house, but all of us have to deal with occasional conflicts with friends, family members, or whoever else is part of our lives. Old Dave demonstrated how to use humor and cooperation to find solutions that not only work for everyone but might actually make everyone’s lives a little better than they were before, too!

Speaking of humor, this was one of the funniest paranormal stories I’ve ever read. The ghosts were friendly enough to appeal to readers of any age, and their interactions with Old Dave only grew more amusing with each repetition of them doing something that he was sure could be explained away without admitting that there might be spirits on his property after all.

Loneliness can be a heavy emotion to deal with, especially when describing it to small children. I appreciated the way Old Dave’s wish for companionship was addressed. He was given time to show why he didn’t particularly enjoy living alone, but everything was explained in ways that would appeal both to preschoolers as well as to any older kids or adults who may give this book a try.

Ghastly Ghosts was a heartwarming tale that included just the right amount of spookiness for the Halloween season.

Imagination Vacation by Jami Gigot


Imagination Vacation by Jami Gigot
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Genre: Childrens, Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (32 pages)
Age Recommendation: 6+
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Sam has a very busy family. Mom works late; Dad’s projects pile up. Even Sam’s younger sister Marla is always doing something. Everyone in Sam’s family has their own idea of what the perfect vacation would look like. But there’s one thing they all agree on: they just can’t get away right now. So Sam comes up with a different kind of getaway. With a little planning, a few supplies, and a touch of creativity, she finds that her family’s dream vacation wasn’t so far away after all.

Nobody needs a passport or plane ticket for these adventures!
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I adored Sam’s dedication to researching the places her family dreamed of visiting someday. She was such an intelligent and persistent kid. The fact that she imagined every detail of these trips and insisted on making them come true for her family only made me love her even more.

So many things in life can be made better if we approach them with the right attitude. This family wasn’t able to physically visit places like Paris, but that didn’t mean their imaginary trips were any less fun than the real ones. Seeing how they turned a negative situation into a positive one made me smile. There is definitely something to be said for looking for the good in the world and responding to it with gratitude.

Having a vivid imagination is a wonderful gift. There were so many things I enjoyed about these characters, but by far my favorite part of them had to do with how joyfully they mixed their imaginations into ordinary settings in their home and nearby places. Any place can be exciting if it’s viewed in the right light and allowed to shape shift into something truly special in the minds of everyone who is experiencing it.

To make things clear, this tale was written last year before the Covid-19 pandemic began. There were no references to it in the plot itself, but it could certainly be interpreted as a creative response to current travel restrictions by readers who wanted to discuss that topic with the children in their lives.

Imagination Vacation is the perfect picture book for anyone who wants to find new ways to see their old, familiar surroundings no matter what their reasons are for doing that.