The Ghosts

by Antonia Barber

When Lucy sat in the attic, she thought she heard the sound of voices calling...

That's when she started to believe the rumors in the village that the old house was haunted. But no ghosts appeared - until the day Lucy and her brother Jamie stood in the garden and watched two pale figures, a girl and a boy, coming toward them.

That was the beginning of a strange and dangerous friendship between Lucy and Jamie and two children who had died a century before.

The ghost children desperately needed their help. But would Lucy and Jamie have the courage to venture into the past - and change the terrible events that had led to murder?

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Ghosts, Young Adult, Time Travel, Childrens, Paranormal

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Antonia Barber really knows about ballet - her daughter studied ballet from the age of three and attended the Royal Ballet School junior associate classes at Sadler's Wells. Antonia is well-known for such best-selling picture books as The Mousehole Cat (with Nicola Bailey) and Catkin (with J P Lynch). Her novel, The Amazing Mr Blunden, was runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. Antonia lived in Kent.

FAVOURITE BOOK:
Middlemarch by George Eliot
FAVOURITE SONG:
'Every Time You Say Goodbye' by Ella Fitzgerald
MOST TREASURED POSSESSION:
Family Photographs
FAVOURITE FILM:
The African Queen with Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart

--------------------------------------------------------
When did you start writing?
I wrote my first children's novel in 1966. My second, The Ghosts, written two years later, was a best-seller and was filmed as The Amazing Mr Blunden in 1972. Now a new film version is planned, as well as a stage musical version. My picture books for younger children include The Mousehole Cat about a fisherman and a cat who live in my Cornish cottage (see Favourite Place). Most recently I wrote Tales from the Ballet and then, for Puffin, the Dancing Shoes series about Lucy Lambert who wants to be a ballerina.

Where do you get your ideas?
Often from my own life or other peoples'. The Ghosts was inspired by a visit to an old house; The Ring in the Rough Stuff by going sailing with friends on an old Thames Barge; and The Mousehole Cat by a song I found in Cornwall. For the Dancing Shoes series I had help from my daughter Gemma, who did ballet lessons from the age of three until she was fifteen.

Can you give your top three tips to becoming a successful author?
1. You must be interested in people and all ages. To create good characters, you have to be able to imagine yourself in someone else's shoes and know how they would feel.
2. Read lots of books by good writers and try to see what it is that makes you enjoy them.
3. Write your story, then put it aside and do something different. Then go back to your story and try to read it as if someone else had written it. This makes it easier to see mistakes and to put them right.

Favourite memory?
A sailing holiday in the Greek Islands with my children and my husband, the summer before he was killed in a road accident.

Favourite place in the world and why?
My cottage in the little Cornish fishing village of Mousehole. We don't know how old it is, but it had to have a new roof after some marauding Spaniards set fire to it in 1590. It is small and snug and I can watch the blue-green sea and the little harbour from my window. I go there to rest and unwind and sometimes to work in peace because there is no telephone. It is full of happy memories of holidays with my children.

What are your hobbies?
Walking, especially along the cliffs in Cornwall. Gardening in my poison-free, wild-life garden in Kent. Going to the theatre, ballet, opera and cinema. Watching television, especially BBC classic serials. Best of all, reading books.

If you hadn't been a writer, what do you think you would have been?
I like the idea of myself as an actor or dancer... a painter would have been good too. Unfortunately I don't think I would have had enough talent for any of these. But really I love books, so if I couldn't write them, I think I would have a little bookshop in a small country town.

(courtesy Penguin website)

Reviews

[Chrissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time travel adventure story that the beloved 1970's film, The Amazing Mr Blunden, was based on. A widow and her children move from London to a dilapidated country estate after a caretaker role is offered by a mysterious man. Ghosts of the children living there 100 years ago, needing to escape their desperate circumstances, and with no one else to ask, look for help in a different time.

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy and her brother, Jamie, meet two children in the garden. The problem? The children died a century ago. Then the two siblings go back into the past to help rectify a mistake. By doing so they are placing themselves in harm but if they are successful, they get to change things for their mysterious new friends.

I checked this book out from my school library as a child and loved it! One could say that it haunted me! I was intrigued by the fact that children could be ghosts and would want other children to help them. I have thought about this book over the years and forgot the name of the book. I posted a question about the title on the goodreads group "what's the name of that book?" and also asked a childhood friend, who is a librarian, about the book by giving a synopsis of it. Both my childhood friend and the great group on goodreads came up with this book. I read the description and KNEW they were right.

Reading this book as an adult, I still enjoyed it but perhaps not so much as when I was a child. What I appreciate is that the Author has created an atmospheric "gothic" feeling novel. There is some "time travel “if you will as the children from the past come to the present time (1969) to seek help. As a child this book was riveting because it was about magic, time travel, it dealt with children dying in a fire, and was suspenseful. I was also on the edge of my seat reading the book as I was not sure if the children would be successful. One does need to suspend some disbelief as they read this book due to the time travel. I think the reason that so many people who have read this as a child and continue to think about it since the main characters are children and bad things happen to children. In this book children are ghosts, they are heroes, they are in danger, they are clever, etc. Plus, this book is for readers who have graduated from fairy tales and books where everyone lives happily ever after. This book was most likely the first book that put a little fear in them. I know it did me.!

See more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes indeed, Antonia Barber's delightful and atmospheric ghost story (or perhaps, more of a time slip novel, as the supposed departed spirits in The Ghosts are actually time travelling children, two British siblings from the past, and also two British siblings from the present) was one of the first full-length children's novels I read entirely in English (in the autumn of 1977, a school library book that took me almost two months to finish, however, considering I was eleven years old at the time and had only been speaking, reading and writing English for less than a year, perhaps not all that long a reading time, since I also at that time still had to look up a goodly number of words in the dictionary and there were also certain British expressions that were of course wholly unfamiliar to me, as we had immigrated not to the United Kingdom but to Canada).

And being a rather timid and sensitive child (but always interested in history, genealogy, and travelling back in time to "set the record straight" so to speak types of stories), The Ghosts was for me at the age of eleven, an absolutely perfect combination (historical, genealogical, even slightly spooky, but with not too much creepiness so as to unnecessarily frighten me), a massively enjoyable read that aside from pleasure also instilled a sense of pride of completion in me (and made me realise with satisfaction that I was now indeed ready for more than easy-to-read chapter books in English, even if many of my teachers were still and sometimes quite stubbornly so vociferously insisting on these for me, not caring that I for one was both bored and feeling increasingly and annoyingly frustrated).

Now my more recent rereads of The Ghosts, they have proven almost, but perhaps also not quite as massively enjoyable and satisfying as my 1977 reading (for while I still very much love this sweet little tale, I am also not in any way blind to the fact that there are definite some issues with datedness and certain leaps of logic). Yes, for the most part, Antonia Barber has more than succeeded creating, has verbally painted and described in The Ghosts a nuanced, descriptive, and mostly believable, realistic (albeit also a bit magical) atmosphere (both in the present and in the Victorian past) and with some minor exceptions, the presented characters are also realistically and believably conceptualised (the one main and rather glaring exception being that especially the two main antagonists in The Ghosts, the Victorian housekeepers, are just a wee bit too one-sided, a trifle too wholly nasty and cardboard stock like evil for my liking). And while there are also and indeed a few issues with social and gender stratification occurring in The Ghosts (namely that Jamie, although much younger than his sister Lucy, ends up inheriting the manor simply because he is male) one must remember that The Ghosts was penned in 1969 and that laws of primogeniture were at that time still very much and firmly in place in much if not most of Great Britain (and they actually often are still in place even today).

But as an adult reader, that entire time slip, the entire going back in time to "set things right" scenario of The Ghosts might perhaps seem rather unbelievable, if not even impossible (for if Sarah and Georgie had actually died in that manor house fire, as it is shown at the beginning of The Ghosts, and before Lucy and Jamie had travelled back in time to save them, they realistically and logically could not have been related to the latter, as Sarah and Georgie would never have lived to grow up and bear children). But let's face it, these types of inconsistencies are very common in many if not actually even rather the majority of such time travel fantasies (and both in adult and children's fiction for that matter), and as a child, these inconsistencies did not bother me at all. And in fact, I have also only very mildly noticed them during my recent rereadings of The Ghosts (enough for me to be aware of them, but not in any manner sufficiently for me to be overly much peeved and frustrated).

Finally, while I personally in no way mind the Anglicanism, the Easter based religiosity at the end of The Ghosts (and actually appreciate its inclusion, as it adds to the sense of time and place, and shows in particular the village Vicar as being not only just religious but first and foremost a human being who strives to comfort, lead and advise) I do understand that for some readers, this does or could have the tendency to feel a bit tacked on and super-imposed (and perhaps even feel religiously uncomfortable). Thus, while I absolutely do strongly recommend The Ghosts, I must also offer as caveats that there are certainly minor potential points of contention with regard to social/gender stratification, gaps of, leaps of logic and that there is the rather overt inclusion of Anglican religion and dogma at the end (however for me, the most problematic and yes frustratingly annoying issue with The Ghosts is actually that the novel is not only not in current print and relatively rare, but that even the used mass market paperback editions often tend to be very, sometimes even obscenely expensive).

EDITED TO ADD

So please do note that The Ghosts has also been published as The Amazing Mr. Blunden (and there was actually a movie made in the 1970s with the latter title but which unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to watch). And I have indeed noticed that The Amazing Mr. Blunden does seem somewhat more readily available and is also less expensive than The Ghosts. But just to say that I have no idea whether The Amazing Mr. Blunden is simply the same story as The Ghosts under a different title or whether there have been additions or subtractions, read changes or abridgements (and which I am hoping to check out, as I now own a copy of The Amazing Mr. Blunden as well as The Ghosts and that I am planning to do a comparative perusal, since I for one am definitely curious if The Amazing Mr. Blunden has retained all of Antonia Barber's Anglicanism from The Ghosts, which I do hope is the case, but that yes, if The Amazing Mr. Blunden has been abridged, the latter, Barber's theological details regarding Easter, might well be a likely candidate and scenario).

And after now having read The Amazing Mr. Blunden, yes and fortunately, there is in fact absolutely NOTHING that has been abridged or changed with regard to Antonia Barber's original text and that The Amazing Mr. Blunden is indeed The Ghosts with a different title and with no textual changes at all (something that really makes me happy as I was kind of dreading reading The Amazing Mr. Blunden and perhaps discovering changes and/or removals).

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published as The Ghosts in 1969 this exciting story tells of two siblings that live with their recently widowed mother. After a mysterious visit from a friendly old solicitor, their mother is offered a job as a caretaker of a beautiful old house. This comes as a boon for the family who are struggling to make ends meet but there are rumours about this house, children have died there and there is talk of ghosts.

The way this story is told, the characters, the sibling relationships and the vocabulary used is wonderful. The mysterious start to the story was excellent, a 5 star start. The rest of the story was very good, we loved the mystery, the time slip, the way that you knew what was about to happen in the climax as this was time slip so you knew what was coming up. The events the children sought to change were dramatic and had us on the edge of our seats. We felt so tense and frustrated at times that we had to stop reading to give our exasperated advice, but the characters didn't listen, there were a tense few chapters indeed. We enjoyed the twist where Lucy hiding her eyes knowing that Tom was about to die presumed she heard the thud of his body falling from the top of the house later we find that the wheel of time had been changed and thankfully that didn't happen.

This was a very enjoyable time slip adventure, I would recommend reading goodreads friend Manybooks review which made me notice this book when I saw it in Oxfam otherwise I might have passed this by.

[Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

British author Barbara Anthony (1932-2019) wrote books for both children and adults under the pen name of Antonia Barber. This novel, her second, is one of the former; but like any good children's novel which can satisfy intelligent and discerning kids, it can appeal to intelligent and discerning adult readers as well. It's twice been adapted as a movie, both times with the title The Amazing Mr. Blunden after one of its important characters (though, at least in the book, he's not the protagonist), but I haven't personally seen either production.

We're in the realm of supernatural fiction here; but it's fair to say that this is not a traditional ghost story as such. Instead, the main supernatural element is time travel, effected by magical means; so the book will have a built-in appeal to readers (including myself) who enjoy the time-travel theme. (But it also employs ideas drawn from speculative science, and apparently relativity theory, so might have an appeal to SF fans as well.) There are two theoretical approaches to time travel, both in scientific theory and in literary treatments: one that sees the past as fluid, where time travelers can change what we know as the past and create alternate futures, and one that sees time as absolute, wherein if you do travel to the past, you can only do what you've already done. Personally, I find the latter more plausible, and relate to it with an easier “suspension of disbelief.” Barber, however, takes the former approach here; we have characters going both forward and backward in time, but those going in the latter direction (from the author's present) are aiming to change the past as it exists in their world.

Our main characters here are two brother-sister pairs of children (their ages aren't given in the text, but I'd guess the oldest to be no more than 14); and in common with all books written for kids in the late 60s, this one has no sexual content or bad language. Barber sets her tale in her native England (moving from London to an unspecified location in the countryside) and gives us a linear plot, steadily paced and delivered in a straightforward style; at just 214 pages, this is quite a quick read. It's a tale characterized by adventure and danger, with our young protagonists called on to make decisions and face challenges with life and death stakes (and perhaps some stakes that are even greater or deeper). The time frame is fairly compressed, running from late winter to “Whitsun” (a slurred form of “White Sunday,” the British term for Pentecost, the seventh Sunday after Easter, which comes from the white robes traditionally worn on that day by candidates for baptism); the central action, which comprises 13 of the 16 chapters, occupies just four days, much of it on Good Friday and concluding on Easter. As the prominence of Christian holidays in that schema indicates, there is a definite Christian subtext here. Christian themes such as sacrifice on behalf of others, redemption, exercising faith when circumstances seem to militate against it, and even resurrection symbolism come through clearly. Protagonists Lucy and Jamie, and their mom, attend Anglican services; the vicar is a sympathetic character, and Lucy's worldview includes God and prayer. But none of this comes across as “preachy;” the occasional religious references arise very naturally in the text.

On the negative side, the author's approach to time travel creates “time paradoxes,” which for me undercut the credibility of the story. This is particularly apparent in one instance, which involves a VERY significant spoiler to explain. Sara became Lucy and Jamie's great-great-grandmother, years after they rescued her from a fire in which she otherwise would have died as a young teen. But in Lucy's and Jamie's entire pasts up to that time, Sara DID die in that fire, and her grave was in the parish churchyard –which means that in that timeline, Lucy and Jamie could not have existed in the first place. (And if that timeline was somehow ...replaceable, where exactly did the replaced events go?). There were also other logical slips, though of a less existential degree. A magic book found in the library of the Old House plays a major role. Sara and Georgie's attention was drawn to it by another character; but how that character knew both that it was there and that it contained a time-travel spell, and why the children would have recognized it as the book they were looking for or that this particular spell was what they needed, are all unexplained, and hard to explain. It's also a mystery why any of these people would have given credence to the idea that such a spell could work, given that most educated Victorians tended to pride themselves on their disbelief in magic and the supernatural.

However, those quibbles didn't keep me from really liking the story overall. (And some of them are more apparent on reflective examination than they are when you're caught up in reading the tale.) Overall, this was a pleasing, page-turning read with some depth, which I'd recommend to genre fans and time-travel fans of all ages.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

As absolutely delightful as I remember it.

A child's ghost story filled with adventure and danger.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a film of this I saw as a child that I’ve never forgotten. I never could remember the name of it so it was an utter delight to come across this and enjoy its simple magic all over again!

[Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ghosts [aka The Amazing Mr. Blunden] by Antonia Barber (1969)

Short listed for the Carnegie Medal.

My Puffin edition of this book is 138 pages long. I bring it up because between pages 1 and 138 is an enormous story filled with mystery, adventure, suspense and characters that are thoughtfully and thoroughly realized. The heroes are truly heroic, though flawed and all too human, while the villains are devils in the flesh, dastardly and menacing. I found myself fully engaged, flipping the pages breathlessly. This is one of those books you don’t want to set aside, the kind that makes you want to cancel whatever plans you have that would break the narrative spell. In 1972 the book was dramatized for the BBC and re-issued as The Amazing Mr. Blunden, which is the better title as this is more a time travel novel with but one actual ghost. Children from 1869 use a potion that allows them to journey to 1969 in order to seek help in escaping a terrible fate [to divulge more of the plot would rob the reader the thrill of discovery]. There are writers who come up with ingenious scenarios, and others who write prose that breaths effortlessly; it is rare to find a single writer possessed of both gifts. Antonia Barber is such a writer.

[❀⊱RoryReads⊰❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

I'm so happy that I was able to revisit this childhood favorite. Several years ago I tried to find a copy under the original title, The Ghosts, but it was out of print and the price of a used copy was a bit too high to justify the expense. Just as great as I remember.

[ꕥ Ange_Lives_To_Read ꕥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful ghost story for all ages!

A family has fallen on hard times after their father is killed in a car crash, but out of the blue comes an offer that is the answer to their prayers. Siblings Lucy and Jamie, with their mother and baby brother, move from a squalid apartment in London to a beautiful old estate in the country. The mother will serve as caretaker until the rightful heirs are located.

While wandering in the garden one day, the pair meets another brother and sister. This would not be so remarkable - except for the fact that Sara and Georgie died 100 years ago and need help.

As soon as I saw this beautiful cover art, it brought me right back to when my 11 year old self read this over and over again. I completely forgot about it as the years passed, but my brain has recently been presenting me with long-archived memories of books I loved as a child. Were all children's books this well-written back in the day? Are they still?

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book OVER and OVER as a kid. I was fascinated by the way it dealt with time and with fate. A family of kids go to live in an old house. In the course of exploring, they meet ghosts of kids who once lived there and learn how to travel through time in order to help those kids. Just typing this, I again had chills running down my spine and goosebumps. Oddly, I had my own ghost story connected with this. I can't share the details, since it involves a past client who had died, but suffice it to say that an interaction after I re-read this as an adult in my 30s brought me closer than I have ever otherwise come to believing in an afterlife. VERY freaky.

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

* I write publically for COMMENTS. Please skip the 'like' button until you write.*

In 2016, I was touched by “The Mousehole Cat”, a true story published for children in 1990. I saw that our beloved Antonia Barber had published a full novel in 1969, before my birth, that is also revered. With the original title “The Ghosts”; plain but far better identifying the paranormal mystery I always look for; I knew I must find this gem. It was renamed “The Amazing Mr. Blunden”, perhaps for we North Americans. It took eight years, fortunately obtained after a recent film generated a new paperback of it.

I delightedly lapped up these 256 pages in two nights. My July 2, 2024 progress notes are these. “Absolutely wonderful! I knew Antonia was powerfully emotional, whimsical, and that her empathy was sublime. To read a whole novel by her in my favourite genres, the rare ‘paranormal mystery’ and ‘non crime mystery’, is marvellous! I am enchanted, moved, and impressed upon each page. I do not see where this adventure is going, which is the best treat and the most blissful feeling in reading”.

The even more famous “The Time Machine”, explained none of its so-called original ideas. I wondered how Herbert Wells gained esteem. Antonia on the other hand, produced the workings of her story’s wonders in detail; impressively requiring only a succinct paragraph to convey it clearly. Time exists in a circle that we can traverse at any point, in some situations. Righting a wrong is one way. This woman’s ability to state her quantum theory briefly and simply, showed me that she was a was a masterful authoress at the top of her game long ago.

I know some events of our lives are essential to experience but these rules set very few hours for protagonists to breach. However, this wonderful storytelling easily generated five stars.

[rivka · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

The good: a fun, clean, sf/f kids book. (I know several reviewers called it YA, but I think it's more aimed at a younger crowd.) Time travel with a happy ending.

The bad: Clichéd at several critical points; the time travel is seriously lacking in both the internal consistency and causality aspects (it's not just the kids in the books whose head it makes hurt when trying to think about it!); characterization is barely 2-dimensional in most cases. I could also have lived without the oddly tacked-on Christian elements, which didn't really fit the story, and seemed to be there because the author thought they should be more than any other reason.

Fluffy fun, and I will let my kids read it, but I have no idea why so many reviewers were so enthusiastic about it.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn’t resist getting this new edition from Virago, especially when I found out that a new tv adaptation was going to be shown this Christmas, featuring the excellent Simon Callow.

First, let’s focus on the book - a ghost and time travelling one. I’ve always loved that combination and it works perfectly here. Lucie and her brother Jamie find themselves enrolled on a crazy mission to save two kids in time. I really enjoyed it, even with the few old-fashioned stereotypes.

As for the tv adaptation, it kept the soul of the story while changing those stereotypes for more modern views. Simon Callow was brilliant, as expected, and Tamsin Greig was hilarious as the evil Mrs. Wickens.

[CLM · Rating 5 out of 5]

When widowed and impoverished (but worthy) Mrs. Allen is offered a job as caretaker of an old house in the country, Lucy and her brother Jamie are delighted with their new surroundings and new friends. But soon they realize that their mysterious new acquaintances need their help and they are the only ones who can correct an old injustice...

It was only recently that I learned this wonderful book had been made into a movie, The Amazing Mr. Blunden. Has anyone ever seen it?

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I imagine the highest ratings here tend to be from ppl who read this when they were of the target demographic, and were less experienced readers of the genre, less familiar with the tropes.

(That's not an insult; it's just the way it is. You never forget your first one. I'm the same way with The Phantom Tollbooth.)

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in about 1976 and I absolutely adored it. Sadly, when I was about 13 I gave away a lot of books to the daughter of a friend of my mum, and this was amongst them. I’ve been trying to get hold of it for years, but as it’s out of print, the copies I managed to find were all really (and I mean really!) expensive. Luckily, I managed to get hold of a copy on Amazon Marketplace last week for a much more reasonable amount!

The book was originally published under the title ‘The Ghosts’, but was made into a film in 1972 and rebranded as ‘The Amazing Mr Blunden’. I have the DVD of this film - the screenplay of it is very faithful to the book - in fact, I’ve watched the film so many times that I could hear the characters speaking!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

One book I could (and do) read again and again, since I was about nine, for the sad but ultimately lovely story of love, friendship and time travel. Considered a YA or even children's book, but one I proudly have on an adult bookshelf. It was one of the books that interested me in reading longer, more involved books, and also introduced me to fantasy.

[Capn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, as a middle-aged adult reading it for the first time.

I'm sure reviews of this are plentiful, so here are the quotes I especially liked:

'But weren't you afraid to drink it?' asked Lucy. 'It might have been poisonous?'
'Oh, I thought of that,' said Georgie casually, 'so I put some in Mrs Wicken's gin to see if she would die or not.'
There was an awkward silence. Jamie and Lucy knew that their disapproval showed in their shocked faces, and Sara looked slightly embarrassed at her brother's bluntness.
'Suppose she had died?' said Lucy timidly.
'Jolly good thing if she did!' said the little boy cheerily. 'She's absolutely beastly!'
'That's all very well,' said Jamie, 'but if she had died it would have been murder.'
'Oh, I don't think so,' said Sara quickly. 'You see, he didn't give it to her because he thought it was poison but only to make quite sure that it wasn't.'
Jamie couldn't help feeling that this argument was unsound.
'It was either Mrs Wickens or the cat,' said Sara defensively, 'and the cat had never done anyone any harm.'
Faced with this choice, Jamie and Lucy saw that any right-minded jury would acquit, and they felt relieved.

and this bit with the vicar:

The vicar smiled politely at Mrs Monk-Burton with her heavily powdered face under her unsuitable pink net hat and tried not to think uncharitable thoughts. But it was not easy, for he knew her to be a selflish and vain old woman..... 'Dear Mrs Monk-Burton,' he said, 'knowing how you love to be of service, I have no hesitation in asking you to give Mrs Allen and her family a lift.'
She frowned. 'I'm afraid we're not going that way . . .' she began.
'Which way are you going?' asked the vicar sweetly.
'Well, we have to go by the Furniston road,' she said, choosing the only road that crossed the high heath and passed through no villages.
'Perfect! Then you could drop them all at the gates of the Old House.'
'The Old House? I didn't know there was anyone living there. Oh, very well!' She conceded defeat as ungraciously as possible, but Mr Monk-Burton seemed delighted as be shepherded his small party towards the big car.
The vicar smiled as he watched them go and, with a positively unchristian feeling of triumph, went off to have his lunch.

and Jamie in church:

Jamie always enjoyed the hymns most of all. Lucy had accused him of being tone-deaf and out-of-tune, but he did not believe a word of it. To him it seemed that his voice rang clear as a bell, and he sang with great gusto. If the people in front turned round to stare at him, as they so often did, he assumed that they wanted to see who could be the owner of such a rich, tuneful voice, and he smiled so engagingly that even music-lovers had been known to smile back

and some typical Lucy v. Jamie banter:

'There you are then: anything is possible.'
But the trap was empty. 'I shan't believe it is possible,' said Jamie, 'until we have done it.'
'But Sara said . . .'
'What Sara said is not evidence, it's hearsay,' said Jamie smugly. He remembered this from a court scene in a television series.
Lucy was furious at finding herself outwitted, and sulked the rest of the way home.

and finally:

'Of course, Sara is only putting on an act to stop Georgie from being frightened,' said Lucy. 'She must be terrified really.'
'Sara's not the sort of girl who terrifies easily,' said Jamie admiringly.
Lucy, still smarting from the memory of her panic in the garden, took this as a personal reproach. She sniffed miserably. 'I should never have come,' she said. 'I can't help it if I get frightened in the dark.'
It took Jamie a moment or two to get to the bottom of this remark. When he did he said, 'Oh, don't be a ninny. I wasn't getting at you. After all, no one would expect you to be as brave as Sara; you've always had me around to look after you.'
He said it with a certain smugness but Lucy decided to let it pass.

I'll be relying on the many other reviews and summaries of this book to round out your view of it, but I really did enjoy it. I do love the late but great Antonia Barber's style. In fact, I went to see what other books of hers are out there that I might have missed. I've just purchased The Ring in the Rough Stuff, and when it arrives (and I get around to it - massive back-log, as you can undoubtedly relate to), I'll be able to give it a proper review - like this book, it was also nominated for the Carnegie Medal, and yet is all but forgotten. I'll see to that, later. I like Barber's writing too much to pass up a $1 (plus 3.5 times that in shipping costs) paperback via post.

If you have read The Ghosts / The Amazing Mr Blunden and would like to have recommendations for similar stories, I would like to suggest these vintage reads to you:

Tom's Midnight Garden - a similar sort of time-slip story, also to the Victorian era. It won the Carnegie Medal, AND it was second only to Northern Lights in the 'Carnegie of Carnegies' competition held in 2007, where they pitted previous winners against each other by popular vote. It's not at all like Pullman's stuff, though - my GR friend Kadi found it BORING, so keep in mind a gentle plot line and slow pace. I loved it, myself. :) Lots of copies available secondhand, and it'll be in print still as well - but you can read it for free online on OpenLibrary. :)

Astercote - more time-slip (..err.. maybe? Debatable), but a little different in terms of tone and structure. This is a great example of Penelope Lively's work (my personal favourite is The Wild Hunt of Hagworthy). I think if you like Antonia Barber, you might find Lively more than agreeable. Astercote is certainly worth a try - and you can also read it for free online on OpenLibrary. Though honestly I lovingly caress my Piccolo paperback spines from time to time. And I can safely read them in the bathtub. So there's that.

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen & The Moon of Gomrath - these ones are less related, but they are of the same period, and if you don't know Alan Garner, you really should. :) They are here because the protagonists sort of reminded me of Jamie and Lucy, and also because of the rhododendrons - in The Moon of Gomrath, tangled bushes of rhodos take on a menacing, malevolent quality. Here in The Amazing Mr Blunden, Lucy seems similarly enchanted or intoxicated by their honeyed fragrance. I'm a big fan of rhodos, grew up surrounded by them - I really liked the way they were employed to induce an atmosphere in both of these books (one trending to the evil, one to the good..? I think? Both heady and redolent, anyway. Exotic, and yet, so commonplace). Anyway, check out Alan Garner - and if these don't tempt, try The Owl Service (also a Carnegie winner): all of these are free on OpenLibrary, too ;)

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book some time in the 1980s, in my preteen years. I'm sure the book probably hasn't aged well, and I doubt that I would have the same affection for it if I reread it now. That said, it was nearly perfect back then.

This is the story of siblings that move into a new home. I believe their father has been hired as a caretaker. One day, they see two children playing and realize that these are the ghosts they've heard so much about. The ghost appeal to them for help--asking them to go back in time (to approximately the 1860s) to prevent their murder. The siblings agree, and they find themselves back in time trying to negotiate the events that led to the deaths of their friends.

There are a number of twists and turns, and while some may be predictable (read that as "most"), the book appealed to my childish tastes very nicely. It was a reasonably well-written story, and the book was even made into a movie called The Amazing Mr. Blunden.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Amazing Mr Blunden by Antonia Barber is a delightful children’s historical novel with courage and trust at its heart. I have watched the charming Lionel Jeffries film many times over the years but never read the book before. The book is as charming as the film. Antonia Barber writes with warmth, inviting the reader into her world. We receive hints that all is not as it seems as the children in the tale face the possibility of encountering ghosts. “When the time comes… you will know what to do.”
The novel is about righting the wrongs of the past. Courage is needed to trust someone who has proved themselves untrustworthy in the past.
There are two wonderful sets of sibling bonds. They are kind, compassionate, caring and full of love to nurture and protect each other.
I really loved The Amazing Mr Blunden. I only wonder why I waited so many years to read it. It is absolutely charming. I now have the urge to watch the film again.

[treva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably more like 3.5 stars. I first read this when I was about 10 and I was delighted to find my library still has it in circulation. I do wish it had a better title, as it took me a couple years to track it down again. At any rate, this book made a big impression on me as a youngster, and it didn't disappoint me as an adult. A little bit witchy, and a lot a bit time-bending physics-y.

[Sonia Gensler]

A very suspenseful story that reminded me a bit of L'Engle and C.S. Lewis, only with bonus Gothic elements. (Gothic makes EVERYTHING better.) (Well, most of the time.) Truly enjoyed this! Hard to find now, though. (Had to order it used.)

[Lisa Westerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

READING DIARY - 5

I loved this book as a child and I loved rereading now. In the end they were able to rescue Sara and Georgie. Georgie turned out to be a putz but Sara married Tom, the gardener's kid and moved to America with him. It turned out she was their great-great grandmother and Jamie inherited the house. He went to some place with Mr. B who was reinstated as a lawyer. He protected Jamie when he carried Georgie to safety. Jamie spent two days in a coma like state after falling through the burning stairs. Lucy had to find him after they returned from time traveling.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been reading and re-reading this story for over 40 years and it remains one of my all-time favorites! Ghosts and time travel and a family healing from hurt make for such a good read!

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite books when I was nine or so, and it still holds up. Reread it in a single sitting with much emotional investment.

[LeahBethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ghosts was a delightful read about siblings who encounter "ghosts" (more like time travelers) and help them. The siblings spoke, thought and acted like real children - imperfect, impatient, sometimes afraid and not always kind to one another - and I really appreciated that. The author also made the rescue scene very true-to-life in that not everything went perfectly. I'm looking forward to reading this to my boys!

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The name of the book is The Ghost. It was written by Antonia Barber. The main characters of the book are Lucy and Jamie Allen. They are siblings, they are very brave and they enjoy adventure. The story takes place in Camden Town, England. The main conflict is that in the past two children were murdered and somehow found a way to go to the future and find help. This conflict is resolved when the future and the past came together with the help of Mr. Blunden helps the save the children. The message of the book is to do good.

It was an alright book because my aunt read it when she was younger and suggested it to me thinking I would enjoy it, but I found it alright. This book also made me feel curious because I wanted to find out that they died and somehow come back to the future. It is similar to Ghost Dog Secrets because the ghost dog had died and came back to get help. I don’t think I can relate to this book because I haven’t experienced with any ghost relating things. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy time travel and ghost stories.

[HeavyReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stumbled onto this book on an old post on Whatsthatbook.com

I read this as a child. Or at least I read some of it. I think this may be one of those books that was so scary to me, I never finished reading it.

I had the vaguest recollection of this book, but couldn't remember enough about it to describe it to anyone.

I barely remembered the cover of the book, but when I saw it (the old version pictured here), I knew right away that this was the book I had been thinking of. When I saw the cover, I got chills. Scary!

This was probably a case of my mom buying me a book that was fine for my reading level, but way beyond my maturity level.

[Kelley Stoneking · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I'd read this as a kid. I would have loved it! Even now, it was still a good story, just one written for children. Rating it now, I give it 3 - 3 1/2 stars. As a kid of, say, 9-13, it would have definitely gotten 5 stars from me. :)