Pleasing the Ghost
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Overview
A ghostly visitor
Ever since nine-year-old Dennis's dad died, a veritable parade of ghosts has been passing through his bedroom. When the ghost of his uncle Arvie blows into his room on a warm breeze, Dennis isn't surprised, but Uncle Arvie is the first ghost who wants something from Dennis.
Dennis would love to help Uncle Arvie, but he can't quite understand what Uncle Arvie is asking for. What, for example, is "Fraggle pin Heartfoot a wig pasta"? Dennis has to find out, because this is one ghost who isn't going to leave until he gets what he came for. . . .
Uncle Arvie's antics and Dennis's attempts to please his ghost form the heart of this funny and tender tale from a Newbery Medal–winning storyteller.
Nine-year-old Dennis, whose uncle and father died within a year of one another, is visited by the ghost of his uncle, and together they settle some unfinished business.
Synopsis
Ever since his father died, Dennis has been seeing ghosts. Lots of ghosts. They blow in on the breeze, visit for a while, and fly off again. But one night the ghost of his Uncle Arvie floats in the window. And Arvie wants to do more than chat. Together, they find a lost love letter, finish a special painting, and dig up buried treasure—all for Arvie's widow, Julia. Dennis loves having his uncle around again, but there's still one ghost he's longing to see. Perhaps on the next ghost wind . . . Master storyteller Sharon Creech has woven a wonderfully funny, romantic tale. Arvie's eccentric antics and wonderful word play keep the reader laughing, but at its tender heart, the story reveals the holes left in our lives when we lose the ones we love.
Children's Literature
Many people say that laughter is the best medicine and Creech certainly takes this to heart. Dennis is frequently visited by ghosts, but not the ghost he wants to see the most-that of his father. Instead, Dennis is visited by the ghost of strangers and his Uncle Arvie. His uncle stays for some time because he wants Dennis to finish the tasks he left undone. This book takes serious and painful situations-death, stroke related speech problems, and the anger involved in grief -and makes them funny. This approach may help young readers who are dealing with these issues to relieve some of their tensions through laughter.
Editorials
Children's Literature -
Many people say that laughter is the best medicine and Creech certainly takes this to heart. Dennis is frequently visited by ghosts, but not the ghost he wants to see the most-that of his father. Instead, Dennis is visited by the ghost of strangers and his Uncle Arvie. His uncle stays for some time because he wants Dennis to finish the tasks he left undone. This book takes serious and painful situations-death, stroke related speech problems, and the anger involved in grief -and makes them funny. This approach may help young readers who are dealing with these issues to relieve some of their tensions through laughter.Children's Literature -
Newbery award winning author Sharon Creech has a remarkable gift for finding humor in dark places. Her stories teach without preaching and serve as a tool for youngsters dealing with painful situations such as the death of a parent, debilitating strokes and grief. Her young hero, Dennis, is visited by ghosts in this fantasy. Although he longs to converse with the spirit of his dad, Dennis instead is haunted by strangers and a distant uncle, who nonetheless, help him through a very painful time.Kirkus Reviews
For readers younger than the audience for Creech's other novels (Absolutely Normal Chaos, 1995, etc.), an entertaining story with modest aspirations. Dennis, whose father recently died, is visited by the ghost of Uncle Arvie, who wants Dennis to perform three tasks for him. As the result of a stroke Uncle Arvie suffered while he was alive, he can only communicate in a system of nonsense words—"yin" for yes, "pepperoni" as the name of Dennis's father (Uncle Arvie's brother), "Heartfoot" for Uncle Arvie's wife, etc.—that will tax readers as it leads Dennis, eventually, to a lost letter, lost painting, and buried treasure for his aunt.This featherweight fantasy is mildly amusing, but those who have experienced the death of a parent may be pained by Dennis's hope, portrayed as a perfectly reasonable wish, that his father's ghost will visit him soon. Black-and-white chapter decorations further lighten the fare.