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Summary
Summary
Jon didn't expect to be confronted by a pack of vengeful ghosts at his new boarding school. Now he and his friend Ella must uncover a centuries-old murder, all while haunted by terrifying spirits. When Jon summons the ghost of Knight Longspee, only one question remains-can Longspee be trusted?
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Jon Whitcroft, an 11-year-old English boy, is not getting along with his mother's boyfriend, a pedantic dentist the boy has nicknamed "The Beard" for his silly facial hair. His mother sends him to the boarding school traditionally attended by his late father. Jon is visited by a murderous ghost and his servants determined to take revenge on the descendants of a man whose murder resulted in his hanging centuries ago. Sending this evil ghost to hell and redeeming the heart of a noble ghost knight form the action of Cornelia Funke's tale (Little, Brown, 2012). Jon learns courage and grace from his ghost-hunting experience and his relationship with Ella Littlejohn, whose grandmother is a witch. Some aspects of the plot don't make much sense, and the preteen characters are not entirely believable because they display the emotional maturity and sexual curiosity of older teenagers. Elliot Hill voices first-person narrator Jon beautifully as he develops from a whiney momma's boy to a courageous ghost hunter and knight's squire. He also does an excellent job with the plucky Ella, her quirky Aunt Zelda, Jon's roommates, and a variety of secondary male and female characters. Thankfully, the lugubrious introductory music is not featured throughout. An entertaining listen, but not up to the caliber of the author's "Ink Heart" trilogy.-Nina Sachs, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook, ME (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Funke follows her foray into YA (Reckless) with a simultaneously creepy and romantic middle-grade ghost story that will please her legions of younger fans. Jon Whitcroft, now 19, recounts his momentous 11th year when, sent against his will to boarding school in Salisbury, England, he raises a dead knight from restless slumber, fights off a murderous ghost, and makes peace with his mother's fiance. Having been "the man around the house, uncontested hero to my sisters and apple of my mother's eye," until the arrival of his mother's new boyfriend (dubbed "The Beard"), Jon is homesick and cranky about being "banished." Those gripes are quickly forgotten when he is harassed by the ghost of a family enemy who has spent the centuries exacting revenge on Jon's male ancestors. Jon is the next target until Ella, the prettiest girl in school and (conveniently) the granddaughter of the local ghost expert, comes to his aid. Despite the book's length, the story moves quickly, filled with daring midnight expeditions and close calls with death. Final artwork not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. Agent: Oliver Latsch Literary Agency. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Jon Whitcroft, eleven, resents being sent away to boarding school; he thinks his mothers new boyfriend, whom Jon sneeringly refers to as "The Beard," is trying to get rid of him. Jon finds himself with bigger problems after being accosted by a terrifying band of ghosts with a centuries-old ax to grind against his family. Word of Jons encounter gets around school, and Ella, whose grandmother Zelda runs ghost tours and is rumored to be a witch, offers to help. The kids visit Salisbury Cathedral and call forth the soul of a knight, William Longspee (a historical person), sworn to "protect the innocent from the cruel, and the weak from the strong." Longspee comes to Jons aid, but secrets about the knights past call his trustworthiness into question. The plot thickens after The Beard -- revealed to be Ellas uncle -- shows up in Salisbury. Funkes consummate way with setting, well interpreted in Offermanns looming illustrations, brings the medieval English town (and all of its ghosts) to life, from the sprawling boarding school campus to the echoes-of-the-past cathedral and eerie cemetery grounds; a side jaunt to Stonehenge even adds some levity. Appended notes discuss Funkes inspiration for the story and provide history about the real-life people and places. elissa gershowitz (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
"Banished" to boarding school in contemporary Salisbury, England, 11-year-old Jon finds himself targeted by phantom riders determined to punish him for something that happened centuries before. When his mother sends him off to Salisbury Cathedral School, Jon arrives "shrouded in thick mists of homesickness." Pursued by ghost riders only he can see and who call him "Hartgill," his mother's maiden name, a terrified Jon confides in fearless classmate Ella. She takes him to her grandmother, an expert on local ghosts. Ella's grandmother warns Jon he's being haunted by the ghost of Lord Stourton, a villain hanged in 1556 for the murders of Jon's Hartgill ancestors. Ella suggests Jon evoke the ghost of William Longspee, a famous knight buried in Salisbury Cathedral. Longspee's ghost proves a valorous champion, helping Jon eradicate Stourton and his vendetta. But Longspee harbors his own dark secret, which Jon pledges to resolve. Historic details about the real Hartgill, Longspee and Stourton are deftly woven into a ripping good story. It's told with self-effacing humor from the perspective of an awkward boy who emerges as honorable and brave as the ghost knight and the contemporary girl he befriends. Black-and-white illustrations add to the Tudor atmosphere and drama. Sword-swinging ghosts will haunt readers of this droll, harrowing and historically grounded ghost story. (author's note) (Fantasy. 8-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Sent to his late father's boarding school in nearby Salisbury, England, 11-year-old Jon sees the change as banishment, or possibly punishment for his antagonism toward Mum's boyfriend (aka the Beard). Jon initially wallows in homesickness, self-pity, and hatred of the Beard, but these preoccupations are dwarfed by his terror when he is hounded by murderous ghosts bent on ancestral revenge. With the help of his classmate Ella, Jon hides in Salisbury Cathedral at night and raises the ghost of a medieval knight to defend him. Funke uses her storytelling skills to create an exciting narrative while juxtaposing Jon's problems at home with his new life at school and the ghostly reality around him. Though the story occasionally relies on coincidence, readers will happily suspend disbelief to follow Jon's expeditions to Stonehenge, a cemetery after dark, a haunted abbey, and a medieval battlefield. The many black-and-white drawings, though not seen in final form, capture the spirit of the story and intensify its drama, wit, and charm. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Funke's legion of fans are always interested in what she is up to. Her middle-grade audience will be pleased she is turning her attention back to them.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
