 Terry Fide’s dad is a brilliant ghost detective. When Mr Horry Fide gets called to a haunting, he talks to the ghost to find out the why the ghost is being so scary. Problem solved! Terry wants to be just like him, but the trouble is Terry is afraid of ghosts! All except his ghost dog Bones. Terry didn’t inherit his family’s unique way of dealing with unruly spirits. Instead, every time a ghost comes near, Terry gets wobbly knees and an itchy belly that makes him feel like a thousand fleas have invaded his clothes. Worse still, he scratches and jiggles and simply cannot stand still.
But when dad is called away to Sydney to attend to several meddlesome ghost sightings, he leaves Terry in charge to sort out the ghost in Miss Quibble’s bakery. Along with Bones and his best friend Max, he reluctantly heads over to the bakery. On the way the boys see Avery, who is in the same class as the two boys and insists on coming along to ‘…check this out – like it’s even true.’ Chaos and mayhem ensues when they try to get the ghost to talk to them. Avery, now a firm ghost believer, devises a clever trap and once caught, Terry can finally talk to the ghost and find out the true reasons behind this very messy haunting. This is a fabulous, fast paced, spooky adventure that will have readers hooked from the very first page. The language, settings and characters are all easily relatable for the target audience. Love the play on words for the main character’s name – Terry Fide (terrified) and his dad Mr Horry Fide (horrified) – and the way the author expertly has us emotionally invested in Terry from the beginning with sentences like - In fact, he feared anything remotely spooky – spiders, rats, creaking floorboards, even the dark and Terry felt sick. Even a spelling test would be more fun than chasing after ghosts. I know that’s exactly how I would feel! Themes of kindness, bravery and friendship are embedded in this first book of the Ghost Detective series with the other two central characters – Max and Avery - appealing to both boys and girls. STEM plays a part in the story too with Avery’s character interested in inventing and designing. The black and white illustrations seamlessly support and enhance the narrative throughout, and readers will love their fun, comic book feel. And the end papers are delightful! This will be a must have series, especially for those looking for something engaging and challenging and a step up from early readers. Teaching themes could include friendship, bravery, resilience, ghosts, design thinking, engineering, inventions, problem solving. Find out more about Jeannette Stampone Find out more about Jasmine Berry Published by About Kids Books Release date July 2025 ISBN: 9870994642813 Highly recommended for ages 6 to 9
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 Xander’s life is pretty typical of that of a 12-year-old boy. He has two best friends – Cat and Tee-Jay, a loving mum and dad, and a younger sister Phoebe who always finds the positives in everything – despite being in a wheelchair. He wishes he could be brave and courageous like his sister and the superheroes he loves to draw – but he isn’t. He wishes he could stand up to the boys that bully him at school – the Clagg brothers aka the ‘Bruise Brothers’ – but he doesn’t. He wishes he could solve the mystery of why the alpacas on Cat’s farm are dying – but he can’t.
Until one day he finds a golden ink pen and discovers that anything he draws with this magic pen comes true. He defeats the Clagg Brothers, enables his sister to walk again, helps his father win a fishing contest that gives the family more money than they’ve ever had, and comes first in a school math competition, even though his friend Tee-Jay deserved the prize more. But each time something wonderful happens it quickly turns into something awful. He alienates his friends, his once loving mum and dad are no longer speaking to each other, and Xander himself has changed under the influence of the pen. Instead of the sunny, easy-going person he once was Xander is now bitter and spiteful. But sister Phoebe comes to the rescue with her truthfulness and unwavering support. Xander is soon making amends for situations that went awry. The mystery of the poisoned water and dying alpacas on Cat’s farm is the last problem needing to be solved. Xander knows he can’t do it alone and that to solve the mystery, he has to earn back the trust of his friends Cat and Tee-Jay and together find the solution. David Lawrence tackles some deep and serious issues in this story with warmth and compassion. Disability, bullying, greed, and dishonesty are woven into the story in a way that is age appropriate and meaningful for readers. Cherie Dignam’s black and white illustrations enhance the story and provide the perfect visual insight into the main characters. This is Book 2 of The Pen series. Teaching themes could include fantasy, families, bullying, communities, friendship, greed, problem solving, disability, trust and courage. Find out more about David Lawrence Find out more about Cherie Dignam Published by EK Books an imprint of Exisle Publishing Release date: 14 November 2023 ISBN: 9781922539403 Recommended for ages 9 to 13 |
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