The Ghost Job

by Greg Van Eekhout (Author)

The Ghost Job
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Ghosts make the best thieves in this pitch-perfect middle grade adventure from the acclaimed author of Weird Kid. Perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and John David Anderson and anyone looking for an Ocean's 11-style heist!

Zenith and her friends may be dead--but lucky for them, even getting ghosted wasn't enough to tear them apart. The four of them were thick as thieves long before an unfortunate lab accident sent them careening into the afterlife. So when they hear about a machine that could return them to the land of the living, they are determined to steal it. Unfortunately, the magical device belongs to a dangerous necromancer who's out for their ectoplasm. Fortunately, they're great at heists. Because pulling off the score of their deathtimes is no job for an amateur.

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Hardcover
$19.99

Kirkus

 A fun ghostly romp.

ALA/Booklist

In this latest caper from the ingenious Van Eekhout, readers will enjoy the banter as much as the topsy-turvy action.

Publishers Weekly

In this animated San Diego-set heist novel from Van Eekhout (Fenris & Mott), the ghosts of four middle schoolers killed in a science lab gas explosion use their newfound skills to seek a return to life. Since "being alive is precisely a billion times better than being dead," the four close friends form a crew following their demises, haunting their school's theater and engaging in heists of supernatural goods. Kind team leader Nicholas can project his voice to "meat-walkers," as the kids term the living; goth performer Vanessa can possess beings and objects; science-minded Eddie feels electricity as a sensation; and object-manipulating poltergeist Zenith serves as the crew's muscle. When a ghost hunter comes looking for them, they learn that a wealthy necromancer is seeking ghosts, and possesses a device that can take--and restore--lives. Thoughtful ethical dilemmas soon cause them to reconsider the lengths to which they'd go to reunite with their loved ones. Zenith's candidly funny first-person narrative applies a light, portmanteau-riddled touch to themes of death and grief, while the protagonists' close relationships and powers offer up sheer spectral fun. Zenith is of Dutch Indonesian descent; cover art portrays the other protagonists with various skin tones. Ages 8-12. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Sept.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780063253339
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
HarperCollins
Publication date
September 26, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV017030 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Halloween
JUV069000 - Juvenile Fiction | Ghost Stories
JUV067000 - Juvenile Fiction | Thrillers & Suspense
Library of Congress categories
-

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