The Mystery of Allegra

by Peter Foreman, Tricia Hedge, Jennifer Basset (Series Editor)

Allegra is an unusual name. It means 'happy' in Italian, but the little girl in this story is sometimes very sad. She is only five years old, but she tells Adrian, her new friend, that she is going to die soon. How does she know? And who is the other Allegra? The girl in a long white nightdress, who has golden hair and big blue eyes. The girl who comes only at night, and whose hands and face are cold, so cold . . .

Genres: Mystery

56 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 1997

About the author

Born and educated in London, I attended a College of Education for teachers and obtained a teaching diploma, but decided to travel. I liked teaching English to foreign students, so I took a year's course in Christchurch College, Canterbury. Then I went abroad again to teach EFL. In Rapallo a scholastic publisher published several books of short fiction for students and activity books, which sold well. De Agostini took over the publisher. I also had a story in book form published by OUP - "The Mystery of Allegra".
I married an Italian and we have a daughter.
I started to write novels and found agents, but had no luck, so decided to self-publish on Amazon Kindle.
I am semi-retired and continuing to write and publish short stories, essays and poems.

Reviews

[Leedayoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book two times because something is hard to understand. This book is about the four mystery ladies(Allegra). Now i will tell you the simple summery. One day during the trip a boy's family decided to stay at the "Villa Henderson", at that night a boy met the girl allegra. she said she wants to meet her mother. A boy was curious but continued talking with her, soon she disappeared. And next morning a boy met the another allegra, she was very different than the first Allegra. Later a boy met two more Allegra and knew that the real story about the Allegra that the Allegra was already died and her ghost is around the people. I don't want to tell the ending of this story!! i think Allegra has something to say so she still stay at the real world. I hope that she’s dream come true!!. If you like the excited story, then read this book.

[Pang Happy Holidays & Happy New Year =D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me goose bump!!

[Moe Hosokawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Oxford level2

2. 5/12,13 = 50minutes ( Bob Marley 5/9~11 = 40minutes )

3. Allegra, Adrain, dead, Itary, sick, tombstone, daughter

4. Adrain met Allegra, but he also met a girl like Allegra who wanted to see her mother in the night. He asked Allegra's mother about that girl , but she said Allegra was in the bed. after a few month Allegra dead. He went to Itary to study and met a girl, Allegra. Therefore, he also met a girl who wanted to see her mother in the night. he decided to solve this mystery.

I have read this story before and it was the second time to read it. But I enjoyed again. I was excited because this story has many mysteries, and it is fun to solve these like a puzzle .

5. I like this book very much , so I want everyone to read it.

[Yara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, me asignaron este libro para mi clase de inglés en el colegio. Al principio pensé que no me iba a gustar y que me iba a aburrir como el infierno, pero resultó que sí me gustó. Y mucho.

¿Lo recomiendo? Claro, pero sólo si no tienes nada que hacer.

[Mai · Rating 2 out of 5]

ghost story for kids, got it from a used bookstore in Hanoi for as cheap as an egg. The illustrations look like a textbook. Not too bad, and maybe I'm really mean like typical adults but the main male character made me sick because of his obsession with Allegra. Strange friendship and too weird to be love. Cliché like a fairytale. But that is alright, I was not asking for much.
Pros: my version of this book has a nice cover. The plot is simple and able to understand easily, extremely suitable for non-native English speakers. My book also has true false exercises and popcorn filling words related to the plot like the reading part in the standard test. I think it is adorable, children like the Indian kid in Phineas and Ferb will love that idea I guess :/

[Airi Mizoguchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally enjoy this book a lot. It is short and quick, but it also gives out a lot of detailed information about the scenario. A story of a boy meeting a peculiar child named Allegra. She knows that she is going to die, and there is something wrong with her family. But How? I really liked how they used repetition in the story, showing how the dilemma is never ending and keeps coming back to haunt the boy.

[Thikrayat Al-aradi · Rating 4 out of 5]

first read this book in 2009 in my school library, we had a free period and had to spend it in another classroom, so I picked this book from the tiny classroom library and sat on the floor reading, unfortunately that period ended before I finished the book and I had to go back to my classroom, I never got the chance to finish that book, but I continued thinking about it till this day.. but I finally found a copy and got to read it!

[Saimonger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished this book a couple minute and i really like it. It seem like scary (well someone might think it isn't but i ain't a person who love scary story). I like the way of this fiction describe how is it going in the end. But I give it 3 stars because i feel happy to read it but not much as i expected. This book totally 51 pages (only contents).

[enfmaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

6115words
Mystery of an Italian child .

[Scarlett W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally found this book. Read it years ago but forgot the title. It brings some sweet childhood memories and the storyline is good.

[Jana Lol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book.I read it in one sitting and I loved the horror and mystery in the book because it's different from the others.

[Morita Shoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

OXFORD
stage2
10/25,27 45min
this week, I read a half of the book

man, house, two little girls, different, Italian, English, strange


What do you think if an unknown little girl appear in front of you suddenly at night?
In my case, I was very surprised, and I will say " Get out!" to her right now.


11/1,2 60min
I read this book from continuation of last week.


letter, homestay, little girl, parents, lonely, mother, happy


Do you believe ghost?
Yes, but I do not see ghost and feel inspiration.
However, there are some people who feel inspiration, so I want to believe ghost.

[Mio Takasaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Oxford&2
2. 05/09=30minutes; 05/11=60minutes
3. night, Italian, 'r', family, strange, story, ghost
4. a. One strange person Allegra appeared in the real world. Allegra often talked strange things. A man was always thinking and one day met like her. Through him the story solved about the girl.
b. My favorite passage was a man stayed in Florence with Italian family. If I have a same situation, I want to go away from here. I was excited how he was feeling at that time.
5. This book was strange story, but characters were a few so it was easier to read other books. In the middle of the story, I felt hard to read because it was complicated. I felt cold after reading.

[Keiichi Yamamoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oxford active reading level 2
Time Janualy 23th 90 minutes
7words summary Allegra ghost sick another seek mother meet
1 A ghost possessed ''Allegra''. and seeked for her mother. did you were possessed a ghost?
No, I was not. But I had experience I could not move. I could not move my body even if I tried to move! It was very sceary experience for me.
2 In this book, many people were killed by ghost.Did you have the experience like that?
No, I did not. I do never ever hope I have the experience like that.lol

[Yorika Oka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oxford Readers, Level2
Time 5/22=92minutes
Seven word summary=ghost-death-Itary-sad-tombstone-five-mother
Are there anyone who has same name and same birth day with you?
No. I want to meet them if they exist.
This is a mistery story. I hardly read mistery books, but this is very interesting. The story is not scary. I was surprised because there are girls who has same name and they are also born in same month and day.

[ゆきてぃ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oxford Readers, level 2.
Time 6/7=20min. 6/8=70min. total=90min.
Seven word summary / Italy, ghost, a boy, same name and birthday, death, five, mother
Q. If you see ghost, what do you do?
A. I think I cannot move and probably I scream.
I finished read this book soon because it was very interesting. This story was little scary too, but happy end. So when I finished read it, I was so satisfied.

[Ayumi Sugiyama · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.70min
2.OXFORD
3.a family, travel, stay, another family, a girl, brond hair, night
4.If you saw the something that is strange at night, What would you do?
My answer:I might sleep. Or I talked with my mom and older sis about the strange thing that I saw.
5.I like this story, but I hate horror stories. Therefore, I could not read this book at night. However, I enjoyed reading this book. And this book is easy for me to understand.

[Misaki Ohata · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. oxford level2
2. 5/6 85min.
3.Allegra ghost blond real daughter fair dead
4.a【Allegra is the name of a little girl. She was five years old. Adrian visited to her house, second Allegra who is the ghost of a little girl appered in front of him. 】
b【I want to see Mama before I die.】
5.This story is mystery, but it is not just mystery I think. I feel that the ghost is a pitiful girl, but at last maybe the ghost Allegra meet her mother. So I'm happy.

[Yuuka Matuda]

1.oxford 2rating
2.6/6 30minutes 6/7 60minutes
3. Allegra, mama, happy, girl, die,father, child
4. (a) i like the passage that Allegra could meet her mother.
(b) Allegra have wanted to meet her mother. at last she met her mother, so i felt happy.
5. this story is about Allegra. this story appeared Allegra four. one of four is ghost because she was die long ago. i thought that this story was very interesting and it is easy for me to read it.

[Hiroki · Rating 3 out of 5]

①level2,peter foreman
②10/5…30min,10/6…30min,10/7…20min
③Adrian,Allegra,Byron,Claire,bar,Italy,ghost
④"The weather is very bad"
This sentence appeared that Adrian's father said in night, and this sentence appeared first scean. It means that this story is horror. In fact, the dark atmosphere continued exept ending.
⑤I thought this story is horror. I do not read the horror book very, so I could read fresh feeling.

[Morita Shoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Publisher:OXFORD Mistery Level:2

9/27=10minites 9/28=40minites 9/29=minites

man,appear,Allegra,beautiful,real,see,ghost

☆How did you do when a young girl appreared in front of me suddenly?
I was very surprised, but I may talk with her naturally.

☆Do you believe ghost?
No, because I haven't never seen it.

[Saki · Rating 4 out of 5]

oxford readres, level2
Time 5/24= 90 minutes
Seven word summary= ghost, birthday, girl, mystery, name, death, tombstone

Have you met a person who is same birthday and same name?
= No, I have not met the person, but I would like to meet the person.

This story is very interesting, and a little scarey.
I reccomend it.

[Arisa Shimokawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

1.Oxford level2

2.4/29=80minutes

3. mystery. ghost. sad. dead. a girl.night. Italy

4.(a)She was crying with happiness.
(b)I like this passage because I can feel how she loves her mother.

5. This story is a kind of mystery and horror. At first, I was afraid of reading this book, but I could be happy when every mystery was solved.

[Mako · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Oxford level2
2. 07/20=80min
3. Adrian, Allegra, Italy, dead, ghost, strange, bar

I didn't understand why Adrian went to the bar to research Allegra's riddle.

At first, I think this book was like horror, but it changed mystery from the middle. Story was interesting, and words were easy to understand.

[Alejandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es tan cortito que lo leí en diez minutos. Es para mi clase de inglés soy perfectamente consiente de que esto a nadie le importa. Es bonito, simple y rápido, como una historia que cuenta alguien alrededor de una fogata.

[elena elena]

beautifule book

[Matias Lavin]

ya

[ಒಂದಿಗಿ ಒಂದಿಗಿನ · Rating 5 out of 5]

it's an amazing and sad story in the same time
i'm lovin it <3

[Momoko Fujigaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oxford level 3
7/1=60min