Pros: spunky protagonist; fully-fleshed eccentric characters; hilarious situations; history lessons to boot
Cons: books in this series may be out of print
The Bottom Line: Continuing the adventures of Blossom Culp, schoolgirl extraordinaire whose supernatural powers propel her from small American town to London, England, this paranormal YA will appeal to children and adults alike.
jc_hall's Full Review: Richard Peck - Ghosts I Have Been
Blossom’s not one to get into mischief for no reason, oh no. But when she gets wind of some boys’ plan to turn over the neighbourhood privies come Hallowe’en night, blowed if she’s not gonna stop them good. Her turn as a ghostly spirit emerging from Old Man Leverette’s privy sure gives the boys a turn, especially young Alexander who’s already had one too many brushes with the spirit world and has since avoided Blossom like the plague.
The upshot of this escapade is that Blossom gets battered in the schoolyard, but somehow manages to wrest both a new outfit and a name for herself out of this dubious situation. And that’s even before she gets overcome by her Second Sight and makes an unlikely prediction that is immediately borne out, causing Blossom to become the talk of the town, much to her Ma’s and her teachers’ chagrin.
Invited into the headmistress’s office yet again, Blossom is put on the spot by the scientifically-minded Miss Spaulding who demands proof of Blossom’s paranormal talents. Drawing on her powers as never before, Blossom finds herself miraculously transposed to a different time and space (the Titanic on its ill-fated maiden voyage) and attempting to rescue a young boy on treacherous high seas.
Suffice it to say that Blossom returns from this paranormal travel to become a small-town celebrity who soon attracts the interest of none other than Queen Mary herself. With local eccentric Miss Dabney as her chaperone and Alexander along for the ride, Blossom crosses the Atlantic in style, only to find that a supposed Royal summons may need a little coaxing to bring into effect.
Voted an ‘Outstanding Book of the Year’ by New York Times, Ghosts I Have Been hails from the pen of Richard Peck, an author who has written many popular novels for young adult readers. As with the other books featuring Blossom and her friends—The Dreadful Future of Blossom Culp, This Ghost Belonged to Me, Blossom Culp and The Sleep of Death— this one is well-written, lively and highly entertaining, featuring a cast of memorable characters, from the spunky Blossom with her wits and dry humour, to the fast-growing, gangly Alexander, to eccentric old maid Miss Dabney, to formidable headmistress Miss Spaulding, to Blossom’s disreputable gypsy Ma.
With laugh-out-loud situations, spooky interludes, history lessons (the Titanic, London at the beginning of the 20th century) and even a tour of Madame Tussaud’s, this is one book that’s both wildly entertaining and slyly educational. A rare gem with universal appeal to readers of all ages.
NB: Books in this series appear to be out of print, but public libraries should have copies; I got mine from BookMooch.
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