Dial-a-Ghost

Eva Ibbotson's "Dial-a-Ghost" is a charming and suspenseful chapter book for readers aged 4-11, blending humor with a thrilling plot. Orphan Oliver inherits Helton Hall, but his wicked cousins, Fulton and Frieda Snodde-Brittle, scheme to eliminate him using frightening ghosts. A delightful mix-up at the Dial-a-Ghost agency, however, sends the gentle Wilkinson ghost family to Oliver instead of the terrifying Shriekers. This leads to a heartwarming friendship and a race against time as Oliver and the Wilkinsons must outsmart the cousins and protect their newfound home. The book explores themes of family, belonging, bravery, and the triumph of good over evil, all wrapped in Ibbotson's signature whimsical style.

The Dial-a-Ghost Agency finds good homes for ghosts. And Fulton and Frieda Snodde-Brittle are looking for a few frightening ghosts to "accidentally" scare their young cousin and heir, Oliver, to death. The ladies at the Dial-a-Ghost Agency have the perfect match: the Shriekers, two bloodstained and bickering horrors. But thanks to a mix-up at the agency, the Wilkinsons, a kind family of ghosts, arrive instead. Can they put a stop to the Snodde-Brittles' schemes before it's too late? Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes.