Jade Green: A Ghost Story [Hardcover]

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Author), Mark Elliott (Illustrator)

Book Description

At first glance the large brown house at the end of Stone Street seems so forbidding that Judith Sparrow wants to turn back. But turn back to where?

Recently orphaned, she has no alternative other than to be taken in by her stern uncle Geoffrey, who agreed to the arrangement with one peculiar provision: Judith could bring with her whatever belongings she liked except for anything green. The color green is strictly forbidden in his house.

Upon arrival at the house, Judith is determined to make the best of it and indeed is cheered by the warmth and charm of Mrs. Hastings, her uncle's housekeeper, if less so by her older cousin Charles, who seems to alternate between friendliness and a certain suspicious animosity. Even her uncle seems willing to open up to her at times.

But then strange, ghostly things begin to happen, and Judith finds her happiness in her new home, including a budding romance with Zeke, the miller's son, compromised by terrifying experiences she can share with no one, not to mention the ghastly stories she hears about the household's past.

And Judith must wonder if her one small transgression of the rule -- her having concealed in her trunk a small green picture frame given to her by her mother -- has somehow caused it all by bringing that past to life again.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Then at the end of the street, the house--the large brown house with the two eyes--made me suddenly clutch at the driver's arm as if to say, Turn back! Turn back!" At the first sight of her uncle's house--her future home--an inexplicable cloud of foreboding engulfs orphaned teen Judith Sparrow. Unfortunately, her fears are confirmed when she hears a mysterious scratching at the back of her closet and senses a ghostly presence hovering over her at night. Even more chilling, Judith learns of the death of a girl named Jade Green from the town gossip--a girl who lived in her uncle's house before Judith and died a horrible death on the attic stairs. As it turns out, Jade dearly loved the color that was her name. Suddenly, Judith knows the reason she was forbidden by her uncle to bring anything green into the house. She fears that by smuggling in a small green picture frame, she has roused the sleeping ghost of Jade Green and assured the doom of all who sleep under her uncle's roof!

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, best known for her humorous Alice series and the award-winning Shiloh, has dished up a fine gothic tale with all the trimmings: a brave, orphaned heroine; a dark and dreary manor; a hunky savior; a dastardly villain; and the star of the cast--a ghostly severed hand that holds the secret to Jade Green's untimely demise. This novel is a shivery delight that is ideal for both reading under the covers and sharing aloud with a group of enthralled listeners. Heartily recommended. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

From Publishers Weekly

Although this period ghost story does not measure up to the originality and complexity of Naylor's bewitchingly eerie Sang Spell, it will engage readers (girls especially) looking for pleasantly shivery entertainment. The narrator conforms to the conventions of the genre: pretty, young and newly orphaned, Judith Sparrow has traveled from a distant home (in this case, Ohio) to the refuge offered by her only relatives, a widower uncle and his adult son, in Whispers, S.C. Judith aims to assist the housekeeper; in fact, Uncle Geoffrey places no such demands on her time, asking only that she not bring anything green into the house. But Judith has been unable to part with her only token from her mother, a green picture frame, which she stashes in her trunk. Before long Judith is hearing odd noises and catching sight of mysterious scurrying objects that elude all mousetraps. Could they be connected to the silence surrounding another orphan girl previously taken in by Uncle Geoffrey, Jade Green, who died by her own hand? With an indeterminate 19th-century setting, and with the entrance of a handsome, industrious local fellow to supply a bit of romance, Naylor's latest has all the ingredients of classic supernatural suspense. While she combines these elements in familiar ways, her execution is assured. A satisfying spine-tingler. Ages 10-14. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689820054
• ISBN-13: 978-0689820052
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (127 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,772,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I guess I've been writing for about as long as I can remember. Telling stories, anyway, if not writing them down. I had my first short story published when I was sixteen, and wrote stories to help put myself through college, planning to become a clinical psychologist. By the time I graduated with a BA degree, however, I decided that writing was really my first love, so I gave up plans for graduate school and began writing full time.

I'm not happy unless I spend some time writing every day. It's as though pressure builds up inside me, and writing even a little helps to release it. On a hard-writing day, I write about six hours. Tending to other writing business, answering mail, and just thinking about a book takes another four hours. I spend from three months to a year on a children's book, depending on how well I know the characters before I begin and how much research I need to do. A novel for adults, because it's longer, takes a year or more. When my work is going well, I wake early in the mornings, hoping it's time to get up. When the writing is hard and the words are flat, I'm not very pleasant to be around.

Getting an idea for a book is the easy part. Keeping other ideas away while I'm working on one story is what's difficult. My books are based on things that have happened to me, things I have heard or read about, all mixed up with imaginings. The best part about writing is the moment a character comes alive on paper, or when a place that existed only in my head becomes real. There are no bands playing at this moment, no audience applauding--a very solitary time, actually--but it's what I like most. I've now had more than 120 books published, and about 2000 short stories, articles and poems.

I live in Bethesda, Maryland, with my husband, Rex, a speech pathologist, who's the first person to read my manuscripts when they're finished. Our sons, Jeff and Michael, are grown now, but along with their wives and children, we often enjoy vacations together in the mountains or at the ocean. When I'm not writing, I like to hike, swim, play the piano and attend the theater.

I'm lucky to have my family, because they have contributed a great deal to my books. But I'm also lucky to have the troop of noisy, chattering characters who travel with me inside my head. As long as they are poking, prodding, demanding a place in a book, I have things to do and stories to tell.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spine-tingling gothic tale., March 22, 2000

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jade Green: A Ghost Story (Hardcover)

Young, orphaned Judith moves into an old house where strange things happen, especially at night. Sound like a formula novel? It is. But it's a genuinely scary one, with a ghostly prescence that just may not be evil, and an ominous guy that's very human and just may be more wicked than the ghost. Creepy fun with a cool ending to top it off.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great ghost story!, October 4, 2000

By 

Melanie (Iowa, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jade Green: A Ghost Story (Hardcover)

Jade Green: A Ghost Story is another good book by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, and it's a great ghost story!

15 year old Judith's parents have both died, her mother in the madhouse, so she goes to live with her uncle. He said one strange thing, however - not to bring anything green. She can't part with a small, green silk frame that her mother gave her, however, so she takes it secretly.

Soon after Judith reaches her new home, strange things begin to happen - she hears of a girl, Jade Green, who died by her own hand in the same house, 3 years ago. Terrifying things begin to happen, and she doesn't know what to do!

A romance with the boy next door, a new job, and avoiding her threatening, grown cousin, complicates things further, and she wonders if things will ever be all right.

This was a great book, with an exciting plot, well developed characters, and things that were truly scary! I'd recommend this for ages 12 and up.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an awsome book., May 13, 2000

By 

qtpi (here) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jade Green: A Ghost Story (Hardcover)

It has a catchy begining, an intense middle, and a wonderfull ending. Even though this book has bad stuff for kids under 10 (a man tries to rape a girl and his throat is slashed) it is wonderfull! Everyone should read it.