Star Rating: **** 3.5 starsYou may think being in the presence of an Elizabethan ghost would be a rather scary experience. Not for Bess Throckmorton. In fact it is an entertaining, exciting and at times tricky experience.Bess Throckmorton met a mysterious relative during a family reunion at the Tower of London who soon revealed to her that he is none other than Sir Walter Raleigh. The same Walter Raleigh that laid his cloak down for Queen Elizabeth I to save her from a muddy puddle. The same Walter Raleigh who has been dead since 1618.Bess takes her ghostly new friend back to Devon with her where he causes untold mischief: absconding the family’s beloved horse Sally; smoking cigars and causing destruction in the house (which Bess gets the blame for). These events were done with the best intentions however, which the Throckmortons discover at their time of most need.My Friend Walter is a delightful read with a full complement of mystery, comedy and drama. During my first placement I introduced the class to this book following their trip to the Tower of London. It fitted in nicely with their learning; allowing them to explore and extend their personal interest in the historic Tower. This book could be used in role play to illustrate and reflect upon the characters perspectives, allowing children to empathise with figures in history. Or you could use it as a basis for comparing the two different time zones.
This story is about a girl called Bess gets an invitation with no name on it, telling them to go to the Bloody Tower, next to the Tower of London. There, Bess finds her ancestor's (Sir Walter Raleigh) ghost waiting for her. He comes back home with her and then news spreads that the golden orb has been stolen from the Tower of London and it was Sir Walter! Sir Walter Raleigh takes the orb to Bess and gives it to her but when her older brother Will finds out about it, he thinks Bess stole it because she had been in London the previous day. Then they hide it (Will & Bess) but they find out that their mother and father had found it. But then Sir Walter Raleigh scares them by taking his head off and putting it under his arm and finally the father finds the orb and they get the huge reward!(Review by Maya, age 8, Maya's daughter)
What do You think about My Friend Walter (2001)?
My 8 year old son and especially my 6 year old daughter liked this story which we all enjoyed as a bed time read. We discovered the chapters were a bit long for this in general, but there were places to break these in two. We have a box set of Morpurgo and some books are a bit heavy, but this one is more fun and fantastical and I felt no need to stay and talk about anything after the reading. Towards the end it was very exciting for my daughter. I imagine that as a resource to learn about the time of Walter Raleigh, this is a great way to start in school lessons.
—Andy Turner
