View source for Ghostsitters by Angie Sage

{{infobox 
|title=Ghostsitters
|author=Angie Sage
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=A quirky and spooky, but gentle, tale of a young girl dealing with a pair of badly behaved ghosts. It's lots of fun, and perfectly pitched to its young audience of girls and boys alike.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|format=Hardback
|pages=224 
|publisher=Bloomsbury
|date= September 2008
|isbn=978-0747598268
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0747598266</amazonuk> 
|amazonus=<amazonus>0747598266</amazonus> 
}}

When the grown-ups go on holiday, leaving Araminita and Wanda behind, they're not looking forward to their crabby great-aunt looking after them. Thankfully, Minty's cool cousin Mathilda comes to look after them instead. However, she brings two naughty ghosts along with her, which doesn't go down well with Minty, Wanda, or the other ghosts that already live in Spook House.

''Ghostsitters'' is the latest in the Araminta Spook series of books. It'll go down well with existing fans, as well as winning over many new people. There's fun and excitement on every page, mainly stemming from the spooky (but never scary) setting. Think of a junior Addams Family, but flecked with normal children's concerns. Will Araminta's birthday be a special day? Why is her best friend keeping secrets from her? Will stuffy grown-ups spoil her fun?

Angie Sage's writing is delightful. Books aimed at the newly confident reading alone can often be bland and uninspiring as they have to keep things simple. Sage pitches it at the perfect level, whilst still having enough intrigue and excitement to help foster a love of books. The plot threads are woven wonderfully throughout - never putting too much on to the plate of the reader, but still creating a fully-rounded story.

Jimmy Pickering's bold illustrations fit the book perfectly. The spider webs in the corner of the pages give it a gorgeous Hallowe'en feel, whilst the drawings of the ghosts and Spook House's other strange inhabitants help develop quirky mental images. Great fun.

Thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

If you like ''Ghostsitters'', you'll also like [[Trixie - Ace Ghost Buster by Ros Asquith|Trixie - Ace Ghost Buster]] by [[:Category:Ros Asquith|Ros Asquith]] and [[Singing for Mrs Pettigrew by Michael Morpurgo|Singing for Mrs Pettigrew]] by [[:Category:Michael Morpurgo|Michael Morpurgo]]

{{amazontext|amazon=0747598266}} 

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