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Ghost Knight


Ghost Knight
by Cornelia Funke
Little Brown and Co, 2012.  330 pgs. Ghost Story

Here is another thrilling read from Cornelia Funke. Jon's mother has a new boyfriend and Jon hates him.  Jon causes so much trouble at home that his mom decides to send him to a boarding school so that he and the family can have a respite from the conflict.  Jon is not at the school long before he is visited by an unfriendly ghost who, because of an ancient feud, has vowed to kill everyone in Jon's family.  Jon needs help, and he finds is in the form of a girl named Ella and her eccentric grandmother, Zelda. Together they enlist the aid of a ghost knight who has sworn to help the helpless in order to pay for his own past crimes. This ghost story has just the right amount of spookiness and mystery.  The characters of Jon, Zelda, and Ella are all well drawn and there is great chemistry between them.  Funke throws in some nice plot twists, that keeps the story from being too predictable.  This is a good spooky read for kids who like books that are creepy, but not too creepy.  (330 p.)

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