Pleasing the Ghost
- Book Review,
by Sharon Creech
From Publishers Weekly
This simultaneously sensitive and ridiculous romp by a Newbery-winning author (Walk Two Moons) begins as spunky nine-year-old Dennis explains that ghosts keep visiting him in his bedroom?"a constant parade of ghosts, but never the one I really want." Pining for his late father, Dennis instead finds himself host to a motley crew of spirits, in particular his Uncle Arvie. Arvie wants Dennis to help his widow, Aunt Julia, discover the gifts and money he has left hidden for her in his house. Unfortunately, a stroke he suffered before his death prevents him from finding the appropriate vocabulary to convey his meaning. Kids will enjoy deciphering Arvie's speech: "Good carpet, Dinosaur!" translates as "Good morning, Dennis!"; Aunt Julia's oily suitor and Billy, the class bully, are "beany boogers." Dennis's much-missed father?his "pepperoni"?never does appear, but the boy finds common ground and a possible friendship with Billy, also fatherless. Arvie's earnest affection for Julia and Dennis makes him a role model as well as a clown, and Creech's attention to nuances of feeling grounds this light tale in emotional truth. Ages 8-12. Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5-A disappointing tale about a boy led on a treasure hunt by a ghost. Dennis, nine, has received a parade of spectral visitors since his father's death, though none, alas, is the one he wishes to see. Occasionally, the boy recognizes deceased family members, including his late Uncle Arvie, who wishes to pass on messages to his widow, Julia. Because Arvie's speech was garbled in life by a severe stroke, helping him communicate is no easy task for Dennis. Ultimately, however, Arvie leads him to a small fortune, which will ensure Julia's lifelong comfort. In a subplot, Dennis proves to a disbelieving classmate that his ability to see ghosts is real. This story falls short on several fronts. Character development is particularly ineffective. Dennis, for example, is so easily absorbed in Arvie's affairs that it is difficult, if not impossible, to perceive him as a boy grieving for his father. While linguistic problems are caused by strokes, Arvie's nonsense syllables seem exaggerated to the point of caricature, thus creating an offensive effect. Billy, Dennis's classmate who also lost his father, thinks Dennis is making fun of him with his talk of ghosts, and in retaliation, smashes several windows in his home. In a tale obviously meant to be lighthearted, Billy's anger seems extreme and inappropriate. The ending reflects Dennis's hopes of someday seeing his father's ghost, but by this point, readers may not care enough about him to wonder whether or not it ever happens.Mary Jo Drungil, Niles Public Library District, ILCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 3^-6. According to Dennis, he's "your ordinary, basic nine-year-old boy." With one exception: he's visited by ghosts, the first one arriving a month after his father's death. Most of them blow in on "a whisper of wind" and are gone as quickly but not Uncle Arvie, who arrives asking for three favors. There's a problem, however: before his death, the man suffered a stroke that scrambled his speech, and Dennis can't always decipher his requests. What, for example, does "Fraggle pin Heartfoot a wig pasta" mean? A further complication: a new boy at school refuses to believe Dennis can see ghosts, yet he is the only other one who can actually see the invisible Uncle Arvie. Newbery medalist Creech has written a slight but engaging story that manages to deal lightheartedly with emotional loss by offering her readers the enduring promise of hope. Michael Cart
From 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. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Book Description
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.
Card catalog description
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.
About the Author
Sharon Creech is the Newbery Medal-winning author of Walk Two Moons. Her other novels include The Wanderer, a Newbery Honor Book, Bloomability, Absolutely Normal Chaos, Chasing Redbird, and Pleasing The Ghost. She has also written two picture books, A Fine, Fine School and Fishing In The Air. After spending eighteen years teaching and writing in Europe, Sharon Creech and her husband have returned to the United States to live.
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