The Ghost of Thomas Kempe

This is a conventional ghost story because it is about a boy being haunted by a ghost. It is an unconventional ghost story because it is not scary, nor is it trying to be. The boy is never scared, just irritated and put out. He only really starts to get scared when something terrible nearly happens to someone else.

James Harrison is being haunted by the ghost of Thomas Kempe, a sorcerer who lived in his house hundreds of years before. Now as a ghost he wishes to reestablish himself as a sorcerer, with James as his apprentice. Leaving messages for James, committing odd acts of vandalism in the town and making a poltergeisty nuisance of himself around the house, he gets James in worse and worse trouble. James needs to get rid of Thomas show more Kempe, and soon.

This is a very funny book, and most of the humour comes from James: imaginative, self-centred but utterly prosaic and completely sure of himself. James is difficult in terms of creating messes and trouble and getting into scrapes, but he isn't mean, except perhaps a little to his sister. He's a sort of slightly less Williamy Just William, but Williamy enough to cause headaches. What happens over the course of the book, particularly after James discovers the journal of a woman and her nephew similarly haunted, is an odd, subtle growth. James' prodigious but self-absorbed imagination begins the process of transformation into empathy and awareness. It's sweet and touching as James forms a curious bond with two people long dead and begins to see the people around him as more than they appear.

A subtle, witty book, sharply written, and the combination of sharp subtle wit is irresistible. Its exploration of a young boy awakening to the world around him, the world of other people who are at first almost like supernatural things from another time, is warm and wonderful and wise. show less

I loved this delightful, charming book about a boy and his ghost. I bought it as a gift but could not stop reading once I had started. Lively's prose is, well, lively (sorry), and the book is shot through with generosity of spirit, wit, humour, and warmth. This was light without being trite. It's how a children's book should be. It also makes me want to seek out more of Lively's writing.

What a delightful, fun ghost story. What I really enjoyed about this story is not so much the ghost aspect - which was still fun - but the great way that Lively captures the wonderment of being a young boy and living with his parents and sister in an old cottage in a small Oxfordshire town. Its a quaint, more simplistic life than is presented on the pages than the hustle and bustle of today and I can see why this book would be a popular one for children young and old..... I consider myself one the old ones. ;-)

As for the writing style, I love that Lively does not dumb down or talk down to her reading audience, which give the story such a great audience age range. It also has a somewhat timeless quality to it. Even the small town of show more Ledsham is going through its growing pains, with the older center of town finding itself being surrounding by newer housing communities, leaving James' sister Helen pining to live in one of the newer houses like her friends do and not the centuries old East End Cottage her family now calls home.

Overall, a quick and rather enjoyable read. show less

James and his family move into an old cottage, in which James gets the attic for his bedroom. It's been closed off for years, and when the workers open it up to renovate, they unwittingly let loose the spirit of a sorcerer, Thomas Kemp, from the 1660s. The spirit is moody and demanding, and tries to get James to help him re-establish his business in the village. When James resists, Thomas gets testy and starts breaking things, for which James gets blamed by his parents. He finds a local carpenter who is also a bit of an expert on spirits on the side, and together they try to put the ghost to rest.
This is a great ghost story for kids - it's fun and well-written, and the characters are interesting and easy to become friends with, plus the show more story isn't scary really at all. Definitely recommended. show less

Another childhood favourite. Not scary at all but a warm, sweet evocation of childhood. The relationship beween the young protagonist and the annoying, opinionated medieval spirit that attaches itself to him is fraught with embarrassment and difficulty, causing him nothing but trouble yet we feel great sympathy for the ghost, as does James, when the spirit confides he is tired of the modern world and wants to rest. The ending, with the ghost released from his earthly confines through bell, book and candle with the assistance of a local blue-collar exorcist, is deftly handled and very moving. This is simply a superb book for children of all ages and all who fondly remember their childhoods

The charming story of an intelligent, sensitive boy with a vivid imagination, and a rather cantankerous, disillusioned ghost. In many ways it reminded me of my childhood, with the puddings and country lanes, the way we were before computers and multimedia. A lavishly illustrated edition.

Wonderful language! Poor kid, this is a true tale of injustice. The central character has to endure punishments for the actions of a ghost and no one believes in ghosts. A great story and terrific writing.