Christina's Ghost
Encyclopedia
Christina's Ghost is a novel written by Betty Ren Wright
. It was published in 1985 by Scholastic inc. It is presently found in over 2000 libraries
Christina who, to her displeasure, has to spend her summer with her grumpy uncle after her grandmother becomes ill. Uncle Ralph is house sitting
for a friend in an old, spooky, and isolated lake-side Victorian mansion. Once she gets there she, finds a room that looks as if it had once belonged to a little boy. There she sees, for the first time, a little boy in a blue sailor suit
, who disappears before Christina can talk to him. She also finds out that whatever she does, she cannot get inside the attic even though she hears noises coming from there. Christina decides she wants to know why the little boy is there. On a trip to the nearby city, Christina looks for old newspapers to see if she can find any information about the house. She finds a newspaper dated 30 years ago. It says that a murder took place in the house after a man stole some valuable stamps. The men whom he stole from found out where he was staying and went to kill him. The little boy was killed simply because he had witnessed the murder. One of the murderers confessed and said that they never found the stamps. When Christina gets back she finds the stamps inside an old comic book in the boy's room. Suddenly she hears something descending from the attic. Once again she sees the boy, but his time his expression is of terror, pointing at the attic door where the ghost of his sitter is about to come out. Christina and her uncle flee the house after the ghost of the sitter causes chaos. They manage to escape and spend the night in a nearby town. They turn the stamps in to the local sheriff's office the next morning. When they arrive back at the house, that morning, they find the doors and windows all open from the previous night. Upon further investigating, Christina concludes the ghost of the little boy is finally at peace now that the mystery surrounding his untimely death has been solved.
Betty Ren Wright
Betty Ren Wright is an author of children's fiction including Christina's Ghost, The Dollhouse Murders, The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor and A Ghost in The House.- Background :...
. It was published in 1985 by Scholastic inc. It is presently found in over 2000 libraries
Synopsis
The book centers around 10-year old tomboyTomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
Christina who, to her displeasure, has to spend her summer with her grumpy uncle after her grandmother becomes ill. Uncle Ralph is house sitting
House sitting
House sitting is the practice whereby a landlord , leaving their house for a period of time, entrusts it to one or more "house sitters", who by a mutual agreement are entitled to live there rent-free in exchange for assuming responsibilities such as taking care of the homeowner's pets, performing...
for a friend in an old, spooky, and isolated lake-side Victorian mansion. Once she gets there she, finds a room that looks as if it had once belonged to a little boy. There she sees, for the first time, a little boy in a blue sailor suit
Sailor suit
A sailor suit is a uniform traditionally worn by enlisted seamen in the navy, and other government funded sea services. It later developed in to a popular clothing style for children....
, who disappears before Christina can talk to him. She also finds out that whatever she does, she cannot get inside the attic even though she hears noises coming from there. Christina decides she wants to know why the little boy is there. On a trip to the nearby city, Christina looks for old newspapers to see if she can find any information about the house. She finds a newspaper dated 30 years ago. It says that a murder took place in the house after a man stole some valuable stamps. The men whom he stole from found out where he was staying and went to kill him. The little boy was killed simply because he had witnessed the murder. One of the murderers confessed and said that they never found the stamps. When Christina gets back she finds the stamps inside an old comic book in the boy's room. Suddenly she hears something descending from the attic. Once again she sees the boy, but his time his expression is of terror, pointing at the attic door where the ghost of his sitter is about to come out. Christina and her uncle flee the house after the ghost of the sitter causes chaos. They manage to escape and spend the night in a nearby town. They turn the stamps in to the local sheriff's office the next morning. When they arrive back at the house, that morning, they find the doors and windows all open from the previous night. Upon further investigating, Christina concludes the ghost of the little boy is finally at peace now that the mystery surrounding his untimely death has been solved.
Awards
- Sequoyah Children's Book AwardSequoyah Book AwardThe Sequoyah Children's Book Award is given each year to the book that is selected by Oklahoma students in 3rd-5th grades as their favorite. The Sequoyah Young Adult Award , which is voted for by Oklahoma students in 6th-8th grades, was created in 1988...
(1988) - Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee (Intermediate, 1988–1989)
- Young Hoosier Book Award Winner (Intermediate, 1988–1989)
- TASL Volunteer State Book Children's Choice Award (1989–1990)