The Ghost Belonged to Me by Richard Peck is the story of a boy named Alexander who discovers with some help of his frienemy Blossom that he can communicate with the afterlife and that there is a ghost named Inez and her dog in his family barn. Know he must find out where the ghosts body is and give it a Christian burial son she can rest in peace. But the whole town learns of the ghost and tries to find her. Eventually though the body of the ghost after Alexander’s great uncle tells them where she’s buried and take her to New Orleans where she was born.The author’s message in this is never give up even though it’s hard and people try to drag you down.This was an okay book but it was not much of a mystery and it is supposed to be a mystery*** GoodRichard Peck was born in 1934 in Decatur, Illinois a casual midsized mid western town where he grew up with his mom, dad, and sister. After school he taught as a professor in high school but got demoted to Junior High teaching English. Eventually he quit his job to become a writer though his students in junior high were his inspiration. He quot5es “Ironically, the students taught me to write when I was supposed to teach them.” Peck studied at DePaul University and after his bachelor degree went to the University of Exeter. After university he got drafted to the U.S Army where he went to Germany. After he was drafted he finally got his degree in Southern Illinois University and started teaching again. Then he finally quit teaching in 1971 and wrote a book called Don’t Look and It Won’t Hurt. He was a great writer and worked very hard to write and is a great choice for the subject of this paragraph
"The Ghost Belonged To Me" is a young adult novel by Richard Peck. The story deals with a boy named Alexander who, with the help of a spindly, spooky classmate named Blossom, has to help a young ghost rest in peace. Alexander's adventure is very well written, fun, and an all-around good book for children or a nostalgic adult. Let me start my actual review of the book by saying that this story is not an Ellen Hopkins-like, gritty, young adult novel, and if you are looking for that sort of literature, this isn't it. "The Ghost Belonged To Me" is a very tame book- even when taking its dark subject matter into account: if your child can handle Disney's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" movie, then they can handle this book. I was first acquainted with "The Ghost Belonged To Me" in early elementary school (2nd grade) and it has been a favorite ever since. Is it a paragon of children's literature? Not at all. Is the plot so mind-blowingly original you won't see the end coming? Not by a long shot. Is it a sweet story with a satisfying conclusion that will entertain? Yes.I recommend this book to those who like a good, old fashioned ghost story- young or old- with a bit more sustenance in it. It's a wholesome family read or a rainy day book for younger teenagers: older teenagers may be bored by the simple plot or too cynical to appreciate the nostalgia, and younger children will definitely need to be read to. At the very least it's worth a read, so pick this book up. It's a good, honest book, and we need more of those nowadays.
What do You think about The Ghost Belonged To Me (1997)?
I read this when I was a child, and it stuck with me. When you're thirty nine years old and suddenly have the compulsion to find a book from your childhood, you reread it. Richard Peck paints a clear and fantastic picture of a young boy who discovers a ghost in his barn thanks to a nosey (but ultimately delightful) neighbor girl. The book takes place in the early 1900s, which is a time period that not many mid-level books are written about. When I say I'd read this again, I'm obviously not kidding ;)
—Anne
This was one of my favorite books when I was...oh, 12-ish or so. I saw it on an end cap at the library and picked it up on a whim to see how it held up. Very well, actually. I was pleased to see an old favorite really was pretty good. It's a gentle ghost story, set at the turn of the 20th century, and told by our protagonist, Alexander. All the characters are nicely drawn and have a good, original voice. The ghost story itself is not as scary or creepy as it is atmospheric, and the main theme is more about growing up and doing what's right than things that go bump in the night. If you want a quick read, this is a fine choice. I think when Alex is a couple years older, I'll aim in in Richard Peck's direction. As I read, I remembered another story with the same characters, so I think it may be part of a series.
—Julie
The first book in the the series, this one from the POV of Alexander instead of Blossom. Fun because you get to see Blossom from an outside perspective. From this book I learned about New Orlean's funerals.You can learn a lot from these books. I realize a lot of my mental image of pre WWI, post 1900 America is drawn from them. I feel like my reviews for this series have been a little lackluster so let me share the vague recollection of the scary story Blossom tells the class about her aunt. I am pretty sure I'm getting some details wrong about this, but basically her Aunt was in San Francisco at the time of the 1906 earthquake and was buried under some rubble that left her hand with a precious ring exposed. Then someone came along and BIT HER FINGER off (probably after trying to get the ring off the normal way).
—Maya Rock
