The Red-Eared Ghosts [School & Library Binding]

Vivien Alcock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1998 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

There was definitely something strange about Mary Frewin. With her bright orange hair and freckles, she looked like any other child. And she tried to act like other children too, scraping through life at home and at school without calling too much attention to herself. What really separated Mary from her classmates was that she could see ghosts - red-eared ghosts. Recently, two of those forms - a thin man and his large, wolflike dog - seemed particularly interested in young Mary Frewin. In a fast-paced, well-plotted novel that explores the concept of time, Vivian Alcock has brought Mary Frewin and her red-eared ghosts vividly to life.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alcock's (Singer to the Sea God) flight of fancy about a preadolescent with "special" vision has plenty of memorable moments?beginning with Mary Frewin's shocking proclamation that, since her days in a pram, she has been visited by red-eared ghosts: "Some of 'em look like they've worn away in patches, just leaving bits of 'em floating in space." Through a circuitous (and highly entertaining) chain of events involving an antique book, a misplaced wig, a rakish art teacher and a gang of ruffians, Mary learns she has inherited her supernatural powers from her great-great-grandmother Mary Crumb, who mysteriously disappeared over a century ago. Retracing her ancestor's steps through London, Mary falls through a time warp and lands in a parallel universe where she finally learns the identities of her ghosts. At this point, the novel's plot becomes somewhat convoluted with vague explanations of paranormal phenomena. Readers may well share the heroine's befuddlement as she struggles to understand her relationship to a clan of displaced aliens while trying to find a way home. The author's earthbound characters, including Mary's overly anxious teacher, her beautician mother and her proud-to-be-a-doorman father, prove to be more alluring than the ghosts, who even Mary admits "don't do nothing exciting." On the other hand, Mary's death-defying reentry home is spectacular enough to beguile most fantasy buffs. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9. Since infancy, Mary Frewin has seen ghosts with red ears but no one believes her. Things change when a couple of teachers take an interest in her. One of them is a believer in "alternate worlds" and thinks Mary may actually be seeing people from a parallel universe. He turns out to be right, as halfway through the novel she crosses over to this other world, where she is mistaken for her own great-grandmother who had journeyed there decades before. As she tries to find a way home and learns more about this new place, Mary's story bogs down a bit. The friendships she develops here are not as vividly realized as her relationships with two friends in England. The rather complicated details about the nature of the parallel universe detract from the initially intriguing plot. A much needed author's note is included to explain the relationship between the two worlds. Despite the actions of a menacing and manipulative "ghost," the novel never becomes suspenseful. However, Mary is a fascinating character and most readers will persist through the sluggish moments. She takes risks and places herself in danger because she is determined to convince others that the figures she sees are real. Her feisty personality carries the novel along, and her ultimate success in convincing her friends and parents is satisfying.?Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library, OR
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 264 pages
• Publisher: Tandem Library (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613070852
• ISBN-13: 978-0613070850
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars a good read, but a bit dull in parts, June 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Red-Eared Ghosts (Hardcover)

I enjoyed reading this book, but some parts didn't fit together well. It was somewhat boring in the middle, but picked up in the end. Over all a "solid" read

4.0 out of 5 stars It was a boring book at some parts!, October 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Red-Eared Ghosts (Turtleback)

The beggining of the book caught my interest but the middle got dragged out and got boring but the end caught my interest once again. All in all it was an OK book.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was a funny and interesting book. I liked the book., October 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Red-Eared Ghosts (Hardcover)

The book was The Red Eared Ghosts. A girl named Mary is confused. She clames she can see ghosts. Everyone thinks she is crazy. Her mom can't see the ghosts but her grandmother could, just as she can. When she goes to see where her grandmother disappeared she ends up in a new world. What will happen to Mary when she doesn't know where she is and doesn't know anyone?