The Ghost Wore Gray is a book I remembered reading as a boy, and decided to pick it up again all these years later. Written by Central New York State native, and popular childrens' author, Bruce Coville, the story is the second in a trilogy.I didn't actually know this, of course, when I first read it. But then again, I didn't remember much of anything correctly about it. I remembered parts of it, but it was much shorter than I remembered it being as a kid. Then again, as that age, a roughly 150 page middle-grade novel was a huge undertaking. I liked the quick read and enjoyed the story. It was as fun as I remember it being, but I had forgotten enough where it seemed to be a new story to me, which was neat.The story is about two friends, Nina Tanleven and her friend Chris. The two girls spend part of their summer with Nina's father, Henry, who is an architect restoring an old hotel in New York State. The young girls from Syracuse, NY, are excited to find something to do to alleviate their boredom. They had had an exciting adventure solving a mystery with a real ghost at the local theater, and were afraid of a boring summer vacation.Well, Nina and Chris soon find adventure, that's for sure. They are confronted by the ghost of a Confederate Officer who seeks their help solving his problems that tie his spirit to earth. How to help him, and finding out just why a Confederate was in Upstate New York, are the questions the girls seek to answer. But in their quest to help this ghost, will they endanger their own lives?I really enjoyed this story for a few reasons. First of all, it's kinda cool having a story based in my own hometown. I think that Upstate New York, despite our problems (and we have problems like everywhere else), is one of the most beautiful and lovely places in the country to live. I like to see this awesome place in a fictional setting.The other great part about the book was that the story was written for kids, but didn't dumb things down. I am not trashing those books that make things simpler for kids, like the classic Boxcar Children series (at least the original 19 by the original author, which are the only ones worth reading) does. But I think that the author has to choose to either write simply for a younger audience, or write a serious story within the proper bounds of the intended audience if it is older. In other words, the author ought not patronize his audience as too many younger reader books do.I only wish the confrontation in the end chapters was longer, and not so simple. It was exciting and a fitting end to the story, but too quick. Some might accuse of being a deus ex machina, but it wasn't and made sense in the framework of the tale.A fun romp through a childhood book by the great author, Bruce Coville.Highly Recommended.
What do You think about The Ghost Wore Gray (1988)?
In lieu of reviewing all the Bruce Coville books I read as a kid/young adult I'll write one here for one of my favorite books from fourth grade.Bruce Coville doesn't talk down to kids. He knows what kids find funny but he also knows they're able to appreciate broader spectrums of humor. It is his ability to reach in his readers the things that make them essentially kids as well as to tap within them the things that will mature into adulthood, all the while weaving a great story around it, that make him such a great author for the younger set.This book has all of that, and ghosts and the Civil War.
—Ashley
