The Boy and the Ghost

A good and scary ghost story with a happy ending and virtue rewarded. It implies, but (appropriately) doesn't tell the ghastly details of how the ghost was created. Reader, be warned: if a story skips the details, the child will still want to know. After I read this story to my 5-year-old grandson, he asked and I had to explain: "Who cut the old man into three pieces and turned him into a ghost? Why would anybody do such an awful thing? Why did the ghost want to scare everybody? What is a ghost, anyway?" So we ended up in a discussion of the evil ways of the human soul.

Then he made me read the story to him two more times, and was still demanding more when it was time for dinner.

Thomas is the youngest of seven children. His parents work from sunup to sundown on their little back-country farm, but earn barely enough to keep food on the table. Thomas goes out into the world to help remedy the situation and, along the way, shows kindness to a stranger. The stranger rewards him by leading him to a house in which a treasure is hidden, but guarded by a fearsome ghost.

A great story that teaches courage and the meaning of human kindness. If you do great things, great things will come to you.

short, based on American Folklore where a ghost's body appears in pieces. The boy, Thomas, maintains his courage and courteousness and is real cute.

thomas is poor and he goes on a weird adventure to get money for his family.

Illustrator: J. Brian Pinkney