The Ghost of Ernie P.

by Betty Ren Wright

A secret. A mystery. A ghost. . .

Ernie's new in town. And Jeff isn't sure he likes it when Ernie chooses him for a best friend. Not even when Ernie promises to let Jeff in on a T.S.P. (Top Secret Project).

Then Ernie's in a fatal accident. He's dead. But he's not gone. His ghost starts to haunt Jeff!

What is Ernie trying to tell Jeff? What is the terrible mystery of the Top Secret Project?

Jeff never exactly trusted Ernie when Ernie was alive. So how can he trust. . .

the ghost of Ernie P.?

Genres: Ghosts, Middle Grade, Horror, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Childrens

130 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Betty Ren Wright was an award-winning author of children's fiction including The Dollhouse Murders, The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor and A Ghost in The House.

Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.

Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.

Reviews

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 2 out of 5]

Betty Ren Wright publishes for children, thus I anticipate wading through schoolyard nonsense for the sake of the ghost portion. I like the conclusion. It is noble, rewarding, and creative. The action perks up to veritably daring situations as we inch towards it. However two stars must reflect how I dragged through the balance. A bully to everyone else, Ernie latched onto a reluctant Jeffery. The premise appears to be that he had an unsavoury project to unleash, before dying.

He wanted Jeffrey to do the legwork. Any time a move is made to defy him, Ernie's angry energy rumbles dangerous weather into the vicinity. Jeffery is also dogged by a mean woman; the one Ernie planned to blackmail. The book lost me at Jeffery's inability to tell people he was patient with Ernie but not a friend. He is burdened with intrusion after intrusion to give a eulogy and visit his Mother. I don't believe he couldn't tell his own Mother that he was acting so uncomfortable because he kept being mistaken as the bully's friend. If he didn't believe he could reveal that he was haunted, he could certainly say that. Most children’s novels recycle the aggravating trait of needing only to speak up!

It was preposterous that everything was made out to be scary, like dashing past a janitor. Jeffery was rightfully retrieving papers. He could have simply said that! His confrontation with Ernie was the most annoying of all, ruined by his Mother at a window through the best part. It was a buzz-kill, the way Betty had her interjecting in mistaken reply, while Jeffrey was finally shouting his piece! This would have been the crowning climax of the novel! What I love is his very loyal and intelligent friend, Art and the danger they faced-off.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jeff is a nice kid who was befriended by a bully. When the bully dies, his ghost haunts Jeff. The bully had aggravated a witch, and now the witch is after Jeff too. With the help of his friend, Jeff figures out how to get rid of the ghost and the witch. This story was a good mix of humor and suspense. Jeff is a likable character and the resolution was satisfying.

[erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was one of my favorites when I was little and I was excited to read it again as an adult. While it didn’t hold up, I can definitely see why 8-year-old me liked it. She probably would’ve rated it 5 stars.

[CN · Rating 2 out of 5]

Betty Ren Wright was very hit or miss for me in my youth, but this was always one of her weaker outings. Ernie is awful, Jeffrey is passive as hell, and it lacks the genuine frights of some of her scarier works.

[Karen Burnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as a kid then as an adult. Really enjoyed the simplicity of it while giving a little suspense to the mystery.

[Sally B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this reading level 5 book after finding it in my basement. One of my children enjoyed it when she was young. What a great story!

[Matt Zalman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book when I was in 5th Grade and wanted to see if held up. Fascinating what you remember and what you forget. Margo had disappeared from my memory, wild!

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has ghosts and witches, which my religion says is bad.

[Gtsalas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The name of this book is " The Ghost of Ernie P." The author of this book is Betty Ren Wright. In this book, there is a lot of suspence in every chapter which makes me want to keep reading. This book is about a kid named Jeff whose friend Ernie gets killed by a freak accident. Ernie had a Top Secret Project. His Top Secret Project was to bully a girl named Margo Muggin into doing what he wanted. If she refused, he'd tell everyone she was a witch, and her new life in Treverton would be spoiled. Since Ernie had been killed, it cut short his Top Secret Project. Jeff then gets haunted by Ernie's ghost and is pushed toward carrying out Ernie's secret project. I recommend this book for readers that like lots of mystery and suspense. The genre of this book is mystery. Thank you for listening.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy little tale about being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Ernie is dead and no one seems to care, except maybe his mother who has made him a saint in his absence. Seriously didn't like the tone of this book overmuch - something about it hit me entirely wrong. The bullying aspect though was spot on, and that made this that much creepier - there's nothing worse than a ghost bully! Well, except maybe for a crazy witch...?

Strange book. Not my favorite, but something to pass the time at any rate.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creepy little story that kept me awake at night as a 10 year old. Re-reading now as a 30 year old, it's a bit cringey and has a little too much filler, but I recognize I am not the intended audience anymore. Betty Ren Wright definitely knows how to write scary stories for kids.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Betty Ren Wright's ghost stories as a kid.

[Olivia]

(:

[Katrina Sutton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for free from my middle school and I enjoyed it very much that I can recall reading it multiple times. Betty Ren Wright's books brings mystery and the paranormal to her readers.