Ghosted

November 16, 2020
In this illustrated novel, 12-year-old Larry, who is white, is shocked when his best friend, Grimm, who is Black, returns as a ghost two weeks after he died saving a cat in a storm. To discover what is keeping Grimm among the living, the friends try to cross items off their unfinished Totally To-Do List—bathing in spaghetti, talking to every kid in school, kissing a girl, and feeding their neighbor’s terrifying dog— with varying, often comic, results. (Of the spaghetti soak: “You know, it’s interesting. Like a noodle blanket.”) But when they run afoul of “class freak” Boogie MacFarland, supposedly raised by bears, Larry and Grimm realize that their pranks and escapades, however well-meaning, have personal consequences for others. Fry (the How to Be a Supervillain series) balances a serious premise with a gleefully manic energy as Larry and Grimm wrestle with their dilemma and Larry slowly learns how to live without his best friend, in part with the help of a sympathetic therapist (“It’s okay to be sad. It’s okay to miss your friend”). Fry’s black-and-white linework—vibrant and just a little over-the-top—adds hilarity, as in the opening sequence, where the two become fast friends while facing an overjostled soda can primed for detonation. Ages 8–12. Agent: Daniel Lazar, Writers House.

November 15, 2020
A middle schooler tries to help his ghost best friend get to the other side. Twelve-year-old Larry and his best friend, Grimm, are inseparable. They love doing wacky things like trying to dig to China, climbing the water tower, and anything else on their Totally To-Do List. They complement each other in the best possible way. One stormy night, while trying to rescue a cat, Grimm dies in an accident. As Larry sits forlornly in his treehouse, Grimm suddenly appears as a ghost. Larry decides to help his friend pass to the other side by finishing items from the Totally To-Do List. However, after each task, Grimm persistently floats by Larry's side, and he realizes that maybe Grimm's business isn't something, it's someone. But who? Meanwhile, at school people worry that Larry is talking to himself, since no one else can see Grimm. As Larry and Grimm work to figure things out, concerns about Larry's mental state continue to grow. The plot is initially slow to pick up speed, and the somewhat flat characterizations of Larry and, especially, Grimm add to the unsteady pace. However, the final stretch is packed with action and character development, and the book closes on a higher note. Fry's comical pen-and-ink-style drawings add humor and charm. The premise is solid but the execution leaves readers wanting more. Larry is White and Grimm is Black. An appealingly silly but uneven supernatural adventure. (Paranormal. 8-12)

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December 1, 2020
Grades 4-6 In the heavily illustrated format beloved of Wimpy Kid and Big Nate fans, the author of Bully Bait (2013) takes on the same ever-popular topic--but with some unusual nuances. Grief turns to delight for shy middle schooler Larry when his extroverted bestie, Grimm, killed by lightning, comes back as a ghost. They conclude, after some thought, that Grimm has left something in this life unfinished--perhaps from their cherished bucket list? A couple of embarrassing false starts later, Larry uneasily discovers that Grimm had spread false rumors about widely mocked classmate Boogie MacFarland's personal habits. Could rescuing the silent, hulking Boogie from his tormentors be the key to sending Grimm on? Fry provides passages with an openly therapeutic focus and works in multiple side plots, but along with antic misadventures, comical line drawings, and droll punchlines aplenty, dishes up a pair of protagonists who, despite the fact that one is dead, were plainly made for each other. By the tidy end, Larry is at last prepared to bid one friend goodbye and welcome a new one.

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February 19, 2021

Gr 3-5-After Larry's best friend Grimm dies, he returns as a ghost. Initially Larry and Grimm get along almost like old times, but they can't figure out why Grimm can't move on from the living world. After trying to work through the list of silly things they wanted to do together but didn't have the chance, Larry realizes that Grimm's unfinished business has to do with Boogie, the big kid at school everyone picks on. When Grimm was alive, he made up lies about Boogie and everyone believed them. Larry and Grimm hatch a plan to make Boogie the most popular kid in school, but that's not what Boogie wants. Grimm is able to move on once Larry helps to right Grimm's wrongs. Together, Larry, Grimm, and Boogie learn what it means to be a good friend. This novel deals with some heavy topics as Larry works to cope with the death of his best friend, but the seriousness is balanced with humor. Interspersed among the text, black line cartoon illustrations support the overall friendly and positive tone, depicting Larry as white and Grimm as Black. VERDICT This is a unique middle grade approach to the death of a friend that makes sense of loss through humor.-Lindsay Persohn, Univ. of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

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