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Funnybones
Ghost Train
The reader's decisions control the course of a mystery involving the sabotage of orchards on a farm in British Columbia.
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 15, 2011
The Ghost Train by Allan Ahlberg & Andre Amstutz
This book is another opportunity to re-visit an all time favourite children’s story book of mine. I remember first being introduced to Allan Ahlberg back in primary school when I came across the book he had produced with his wife, “The Jolly Christmas Postman”; an amazing book full of creativity and excitement. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on that book but in searching for it at my local library I came across another one of my favourites by Allan Ahlberg which is the subject of this review.
This story revolves around an adventure undertaken by three skeletons embarking on a night time ride on a ghost train. The story features monster ticket collectors and real ghosts driving the train. Their adventure lasts all night and they return home at four in the morning. As they return home they are scared by a screaming baby which makes them race back and hide under the bed in the dark cellar.
Looking at this book from purely an enjoyment point of view, it is full of humour. One can’t but help laugh at the skeletons being scared of the baby especially as young children, generally speaking, are likely to think that ghosts and monsters are far scarier. However, the authors depiction of what is scary is completely turned on its head in a very amusing fashion.
From an educational point of view, the story is rich with language tools. The story is full of alliteration, repetition, verbs, adjectives and it is almost poetic in its use of language. Furthermore, the style in which it has been written lends itself brilliantly to reading aloud as the intonation, volume and sound makes for a very enjoyable and engaging reading experience.
It also touches on mathematics as it refers to sizes, the time and numbers.
A wonderful and good fun read!
This book is another opportunity to re-visit an all time favourite children’s story book of mine. I remember first being introduced to Allan Ahlberg back in primary school when I came across the book he had produced with his wife, “The Jolly Christmas Postman”; an amazing book full of creativity and excitement. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get my hands on that book but in searching for it at my local library I came across another one of my favourites by Allan Ahlberg which is the subject of this review.
This story revolves around an adventure undertaken by three skeletons embarking on a night time ride on a ghost train. The story features monster ticket collectors and real ghosts driving the train. Their adventure lasts all night and they return home at four in the morning. As they return home they are scared by a screaming baby which makes them race back and hide under the bed in the dark cellar.
Looking at this book from purely an enjoyment point of view, it is full of humour. One can’t but help laugh at the skeletons being scared of the baby especially as young children, generally speaking, are likely to think that ghosts and monsters are far scarier. However, the authors depiction of what is scary is completely turned on its head in a very amusing fashion.
From an educational point of view, the story is rich with language tools. The story is full of alliteration, repetition, verbs, adjectives and it is almost poetic in its use of language. Furthermore, the style in which it has been written lends itself brilliantly to reading aloud as the intonation, volume and sound makes for a very enjoyable and engaging reading experience.
It also touches on mathematics as it refers to sizes, the time and numbers.
A wonderful and good fun read!
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June 24, 2023utterly deranged!!!!! there are 14 endings and you truly cannot imagine what goes on in them. i highly recommend listening to the overdue podcast episodes (plural!) exploring only some of the endings.
May 4, 2020
Louise Munro Foley is a good writer, and that is evident in Ghost Train. Based on old Indian legends surrounding your father's friend's farm in British Columbia, Canada, the story ranges from eerie to wistful. Ghost Train maintains numerous narrative branches of decent length and depth, and is fairly atmospheric.
January 26, 2024
On a dark dark hill there is a dark dark town. In the dark dark town there is a dark dark street. Down the dark dark street there is a dark dark station. And in the dark dark station there is a ghost train.
Funnybones and these sister books were a big part of my childhood. Finding them again has brought a smile to my face and memories flooding back.
This story sees the skeletal family taking a ghost train for a day trip to the seaside. Fun and adventure awaits! Lots of laughs. 4 stars.
Funnybones and these sister books were a big part of my childhood. Finding them again has brought a smile to my face and memories flooding back.
This story sees the skeletal family taking a ghost train for a day trip to the seaside. Fun and adventure awaits! Lots of laughs. 4 stars.
October 26, 2022
I remember reading this one with my little sis as a kid and now I'm reading it with her son.
It's a lovely tale of two friendly skeletons going on a train ride late at night and the adventures they have, all with a spooky slant.
A lot of fun, cute story and illustrations and brought back a lot of memories.
It's a lovely tale of two friendly skeletons going on a train ride late at night and the adventures they have, all with a spooky slant.
A lot of fun, cute story and illustrations and brought back a lot of memories.
August 2, 2019
Fantastic book loved it when I was wee and now my toddler loves it too
May 13, 2024
Cute Halloween book and great book to work on different voices !
September 7, 2013
I was so pleased to come across this funny bones book as I remember thoroughly enjoying reading several of them when I was at primary school. In this story the funny bones – big skeleton, little skeleton and dog skeleton decide to go out for a ride on the ghost train. As the night goes on they come across a ghost town in which they have fun with the ghosts. They then go along to a monsters’ beauty parade and make friends with some monsters. The bell tolls 4am and the skeletons rush back home but cannot refrain from taking a sneaky peep into some windows. Well, that is until a baby cries leaving the terrified skeletons to run home as fast as they can back into their ‘dark dark cellar’…
This book was a delightful trip down memory lane for me and a pleasure to read now as it was many many years ago! With bright and fun illustrations I’d say this book is most appropriate for juniors (8+) though the constant use of repetition could make it an entertaining ‘read out aloud’ book for younger children. It could be used in a classroom setting to introduce language skills (repetition) or as a literature task where children can try and think up of a new adventure for the funny bones.
This book was a delightful trip down memory lane for me and a pleasure to read now as it was many many years ago! With bright and fun illustrations I’d say this book is most appropriate for juniors (8+) though the constant use of repetition could make it an entertaining ‘read out aloud’ book for younger children. It could be used in a classroom setting to introduce language skills (repetition) or as a literature task where children can try and think up of a new adventure for the funny bones.
October 30, 2012
On a dark dark hill
there is a dark dark town.
In the dark dark town
there is a dark dark street
down the dark dark street
there lives a small small boy
And in his small small hands there is a funny funny book…………
Trick or treat? Definite treat!
Picking a funny book from my childhood was a hard task, not in that it was hard to pick a book, but in that it was hard to pick which title in the Funnybones series.
Big skeleton, little skeleton and the dog skeleton never fail to bring a smile to my face. I’m sat in my front room with a pumpkin burning bright reading this very book right now. It still has me in stitches.
I picked the ghost train simply because it’s Halloween and it seemed as good as reason as any, I could have picked any one of the series and known it would have stood the test of time and still entertain me like it did so many moons ago.
Read this book if you dare (laugh yourself to death that is) ………. Happy Halloween.
there is a dark dark town.
In the dark dark town
there is a dark dark street
down the dark dark street
there lives a small small boy
And in his small small hands there is a funny funny book…………
Trick or treat? Definite treat!
Picking a funny book from my childhood was a hard task, not in that it was hard to pick a book, but in that it was hard to pick which title in the Funnybones series.
Big skeleton, little skeleton and the dog skeleton never fail to bring a smile to my face. I’m sat in my front room with a pumpkin burning bright reading this very book right now. It still has me in stitches.
I picked the ghost train simply because it’s Halloween and it seemed as good as reason as any, I could have picked any one of the series and known it would have stood the test of time and still entertain me like it did so many moons ago.
Read this book if you dare (laugh yourself to death that is) ………. Happy Halloween.
September 7, 2022
todavía me faltan un montón de aventuras, pero por lo poco que voy la verdad que estuvo muy bueno. pensé que, como se llama el tren fantasma, iban a haber muchas mas historias relacionadas con el tren en si. como que le dieron mas importancia a la historia de las tribus nativas (cosa que no me molesta, pero entonces le hubieran puesto otro nombre al libro duuh).
also, odio que les digan "indios". pensé que hablaban de gente de la India, no de los pueblos originarios de Canadá
also, odio que les digan "indios". pensé que hablaban de gente de la India, no de los pueblos originarios de Canadá
February 28, 2024
Lo amo. Es el típico libro corto que podes leer para salir de un bloqueo lector. Me encanta la historia, de la forma que está relatado, que si elegis una página sigue de una forma y si elegis la otra sigue de otra forma, que tiene como 12 o 13 posibles finales y todo básicamente. Se los requete recomiendo.
La segunda vez que lo leo y literal me lo leí en una hora a la noche. Lo amo
La segunda vez que lo leo y literal me lo leí en una hora a la noche. Lo amo
April 9, 2015
The kids enjoyed the options to choose their own story strands. We re-read the story about 5 times before Mom was done! Of course, it's not the best writing, but it introduced the idea of changing a story and some fun "what-ifs"!
August 27, 2016
Siempre saque los peores finales y ya no se si porque soy malisima tomando decisiones o porque me gustaba ver sufrir al protagonista de masoca.
September 6, 2019
This is a fun night out trip by train to the ghostly coast with the Funnybones crew. As always the illustrations are on point.
February 22, 2020
A strong entry in the series. Almost four stars.
November 12, 2024
The way I went in the story was okay. I guess I was looking for a better outcome but overall it was okay.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews