Customer Reviews

Ghost Ship (Paula Wiseman Books)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mary Higgins Clark, writing her first children's book, weaves a tale from the folklore of Cape Cod. Thomas, young boy who loves to hear stories of the old sailing ships, is visiting his grandmother's home on the Cape when he discovers a belt buckle washed up on the beach. The buckle conjures the ghost of a cabin boy who tells Thomas a tale of a plot against one of the Cape Cod sea captains. The story is a rousing adventure infused with a nautical feel, and a heroic climax. Illustrator Wendell Minor does gorgeous work here, and his visuals set the scene and become an integral part of the story, especially once the action gets going. He does a very nice subtle portrait of the ghost-boy, and his seascapes capture the Cape Cod dunes and harbors with an authentic feel. The prose is a little bit dry in the opening of the story, but it smoothes out once it finds its momentum. As a boy I always loved stories of sailors and pirates, and I think this is a story children will find appealing. And for those kids and parents with a connection to New England, there are some great bits of local history and geography in this story.

I have be a fan of this author for years. This book surpassed all my expectations. What superb fiction for young readers! As always she uses her talent to spark the imagination without all the violence and gunplay of the modern world. I look forward to sharing the next with my children, too!

Mary Higgins Clark is a wonderful storyteller and it is very evident with this children's book. Being an avid fan, I purchased the book to pass on to my granddaughter when she gets a little older. The illustrations are beautiful too. It will be a pleasure to introduce my granddaughter to Mary Higgins Clark, through her children's books!!

My children enjoyed me reading this story to them. The illustrations are beautiful. I had to explain some of the terms in a little more detail, but the story held their attention. It is nice when you find books that also actually introduce a "real" history of what it was like many years ago.

This terrific book is the expected quality of Mary Higgins Clark. It is exciting to be able to share one of my favorite authors with the young children in our family. We all enjoyed this beautiful book and the great story. It is a wonderful addition to a family library.

Another beautiful book by Mary Higgins Clark. Very well-written and interesting. She has a knack for searching out the poignant side of life and portraying it in such a way as to put you in the picture. Although it's a children's book, I loved it!

story of a young boy and finding a belt buckle on the beach. he talks to a young boy that is a ghost. and tells him the story of what happend. colors of the pages where so vivid. good story for young reader's

I have all of Mary Higgins Clarks books so when I began a search for "Ghost Ship" the only book of hers I could not find, I searched Amazon and AMAZING, I found it here. Now my collection is totally up to date until her next book comes out. It arrived promptly, in excellent condition and am very happy with the service..

The Ghost Ship is a great introduction to chapter books for children. Not quite a chapter book, but a bit more in depth than your typical picture book, this book will light a fire in the imagination of young children, while encouraging a fascination with historical events.

DeeDee Fox, author and illustrator, The Ruby Red Slippers

When young Thomas Fleming spends his summer with his grandmother at her historical old house in Cape Cod, he has no idea of the adventure that awaits him. Whilst digging for buried objects in the beach, he comes across a very old buckle from 300 years past, and the object conjures the spirit of the owner, a young boy of Thomas' age named Silas Rich. Silas recounts the story of Captain Andrew Hallett, who once owned the house Thomas' grandmother resides in. Silas' village was being razed by a storm fire, and in the chaos that followed, Silas realized that a number of village men had refrained from rendering help - instead, they were up to no good. Led by a villain, Samuel Lewis, the group planned to destroy Captain Hallett's ship, the Monomoy, by way of mooncussing, a devious act of placing lanterns on the beach to lure unsuspecting ships to shore, marooning them, and stealing the cargo. The rest of the story recounts Silas' own role in the drama.

This is an engaging story that captured my 5-year-old's imagination, and it has all the elements that would interest children (and adults) for that matter - a ghost, a historic old house with an interesting past, tales of villains and nighttime adventures. The author, Mary Higgins Clark is well-known for her mysteries, and showcases her talent for writing atmospheric children's stories here. There are a couple of nautical terms in here which may need to be explained to younger readers, but the language is generally quite easy to understand, and older readers (ages 6-8) should have no problems.The illustrations by artist Wendell Minor are beautiful - richly detailed paintings that bring the story to life. Highly recommended!