The Girl and the Ghost

by Jacqueline Harvey

She snaps the locket shut. Just as quickly as he appeared, the boy is gone.

Josephine’s heart is hammering. Her skin feels prickly and hot.

Surely, she’s imagined him. That’s the only possible explanation. Because boys don’t live in lockets. Not unless they’re ghosts. And ghosts aren’t real. Or are they?

When almost-thirteen-year-old Josephine Eloise Thomas moves from Sydney to a chateau in the southwest of France, she expects many things – adventures, inspiration for the stories she loves to write and maybe finding out more about her French mother, who tragically died when she was a toddler. What she doesn’t expect is to find a beautiful gold locket with the ghost of Louis XVII trapped inside!

After being accidentally released into the twenty-first century, the young prince proves to be annoying, strange and obviously from another time. He also believes that Josephine is not who she says she is.

Then, there’s Gabriel. The grandson of the local baker – French, beautiful, an artist and definitely not a ghost.

When Josephine and Gabriel venture to the shadowy Chateau Du Lac next door to her home, the secrets become more sinister. With Louis’s help, can Josephine and Gabriel discover what her neighbours are really up to and solve the mystery of Louis and the locket too?

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Childrens

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2025

About the author

Jacqueline Harvey has combined a successful career in education with her love of a good story. She is the author of many novels for younger readers and a picture book, THE SOUND OF THE SEA, which was awarded Honour Book in the 2006 Australian Children’s Book Council Awards.

Jacqueline taught in Infants and Primary schools and was Deputy Head of Abbotsleigh Junior School (an independent day and boarding school for girls) in Sydney Australia for seven and a half years before taking up the position of Director of Development at Abbotsleigh in 2010. In October 2012 she resigned to become a full time writer and speaker.

Jacqueline’s bestselling Alice-Miranda and Clementine Rose series’ centre on the adventures of two young girls.

Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones is a perpetually positive and determined seven year old who takes herself off to boarding school because it appeals to her sense of adventure.

Clementine Rose is a sweet little girl, who brings much joy to her family and the friends she makes along the way in her journeys through the first five books of the series. A star of the show is Clementine Rose’s pet, an adorable teacup pig called Lavender.

Her newest series is called Kensy and Max about twins who learn that their grandmother is head of the world's most important spy organisation, Pharos.

Current Books in the Series’
Clementine Rose and the Seaside Escape April 1, 2014 Shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) 2015

Alice-Miranda In Japan March 1, 2014 Shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) 2015

Alice-Miranda Shines Bright September 1, 2013
Selected for the 2013 Get Reading Program (50 Books You Can’t Put down)

Clementine Rose and the Perfect Present May 1, 2013

Clementine Rose and the Farm Fiasco August 1, 2013

Alice-Miranda In Paris March 1, 2013
Shortlisted 2014 Australian Book Industry Awards Book of the Year 8-14 years category
Shortlisted 2014 REAL awards which are the Children’s’ Choice awards KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria and COOL in the ACT.

Clementine Rose and the Pet Day Disaster January 1, 2012

Alice-Miranda in New York February 1, 2012
Winner Random House Australia Children’s Book of the Year

Clementine Rose and the Surprise Visitor September 1, 2012
Selected for the 2012 Get Reading Program (50 Books You Can't Put Down)
Voted #50 Dymocks Top 51 Kid’s Books 2013

Alice-Miranda Shows the Way August 1, 2012
Shortlisted for 2013 REAL awards which are the Children’s’ Choice awards KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria and COOL in the ACT
Awarded Honour Book KOALA awards

Alice-Miranda At Sea August 1, 2012
Longlisted for DAVITT awards (Crime fiction in Junior Category) 2012

Alice-Miranda Takes the Lead February 1, 2011
Named Australian Children's Book of the Year 2011 as voted by the members of the NSW Independent Booksellers Group.


Alice-Miranda On Holiday August 1, 2010

Alice-Miranda at School February 1, 2010
Voted #9 Dymocks Top 51 Books for Kids 2013
Winner 2012 YABBA (Young Australian's Best Book Award in Victoria)
Awarded Honour Book KOALAs
Shortlisted for 2012 REAL awards which are the Children’s Choice Awards – KOALA’s in NSW, YABBA’s in Victoria, WAYRBA in Western Australia and COOL in the ACT
Shortlisted for the 2011 Australian Peace Award.

Kensy and Max: Breaking News March 2018 Shortlisted for Red Dot Book Awards Singapore 2020, YABBA, KOALA and KROC Children's Choice Awards Victoria, NSW and NT 202, Shortlisted West Australian Young Readers' Book Awards 2020

Reviews

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review written by my niece Claire aged 12.

I really enjoyed this book. When Josephine found the locket I thought it was cool, but when she worked out how to open it and Louis appeared I was shocked. This quickly lead to excitement though as the story continued. I envisioned Louis as having the white rolled wig hairstyle and fancy clothes like you see in paintings. So much happened in the book but I didn’t find it overwhelming, it was planned out extremely well and I kept wondering what was going to happen next. I usually have a favourite character in the books I read, but all of the characters were amazing. Each was well developed and all provided a different element to the book. The funniest part was when the suspicious white van drove right through Louis. I really didn’t want the story to end, but was so happy to learn that there will be another book in the series. I hope there are quite a few more books.
And Mum in case you are reading this, the French guy wasn’t hot even if you thought he was 🤣
A big thank you to Better Reading and Penguin for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Allegra Galluzzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really interesting and lots of mysterious things happening. There was romance, adventure and lots more of exciting things i can’t wait for number 2 of The Girl And The Ghost , It’s gonna be a whole new thrilling book!





100% out of 100%

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful romp of a book.

Pastries, art heist and attractive French teens - what more could you want in a #LoveOzMG novel?

Jet (coolest nickname) , and her family have book a renovator’s dream in the south of France. With her new bike (Minty) and pet dog, she sets about exploring her new home and surrounds, while emailing/phoning her best friend from school.

The ghost of the title delivers the added mystery and historical intrigue.

I adored this book and have given copies to readers aged over 10 years old.

More please, Jacqueline Harvey.

[Saskia Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I loved how Jacqueline Harvey used real people from the past, and how she also included some facts at the back of the book! Louis was so funny as well, saying that modern people dress like peasants! Harriet was also one of my favourite characters in the story! She is just like me. Jet is so kind to Louis even when he is mean! I loved this book and all the plots in it! Thank you for the wonderful read Jacqueline Harvey!

[Kim Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun mystery set in France. Josephine moves with her family from Australia to France so she can find out about her mother who passed a decade ago, and so her father and stepmother can renovate a chateaux. When she finds a locket and discovers the ghost of Louis XVII inside, Josephine must keep him a secret which is easier said than done. Local boy, Gabriel, and Josephine uncover an art theft ring working out of the abandoned chateaux next door. Thrown in the dungeon, they must rely on a ghost and a dog to rescue them.

[Great Escape Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Review...

Prolific children’s author Jacqueline Harvey has a brand-new series and if this first instalment is anything to go by, it promises to be just as entertaining as her Alice Miranda or Kensy and Max books.

Nearly 13-year-old Josephine has just moved with her dad and step-mum from Sydney to a small village in France. While renovating their small, old castle Josephine comes across a locket and when she opens it the ghost of the young Dauphin Louis XVII is set free. He’s rude and annoying and not quite the friend Josephine had in mind in her new home, but together the pair work together to try and solve more than one mystery (with the help of the very handsome baker’s grandson Gabriel).

The Girl and the Ghost is a wildly entertaining read with plenty of mystery and intrigue, friendships, a bit of history and even a touch of romance. The only bad thing is having to wait for the next instalment!

Review by Andi @ Great Escape Books

[Sheryl Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this book is aimed at young people, adults will enjoy it too. I look forward to the next adventure of the girl and the ghost.

[melodie | readingwithmelodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun fact, this book took me 56 minutes and 6 seconds to finish

but asbfjebdjsj it’s got the same jacqueline harvey charm to it i loveeee

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel for middle readers aged around 9-13 years, although both younger and older readers may also enjoy it. It is the first in a series, and my 12 year old co-reader assures me that she’s looking forward to the next instalment.

This is a lively adventure story with a dash of history. It’s well targeted at the intended audience, recognising both their burgeoning maturity and a degree of innocence. The language is straight forward, but doesn’t talk down to readers. There’s an opening for the sequel, but a pretty complete story is told.

My Miss Twelve really enjoyed this story, particularly appreciating that the individual characters and the family dynamic seemed believable. She liked the storyline, finding it interesting and well paced.

She found the information in the afterword about the French royal family really interesting, but wanted to know why more of it wasn’t in the story. She felt that Jet’s research would have turned up some of it, and she would have loved to read that as part of the story.

She also complained that the novel didn’t contain enough information or background about the bad guys. She felt the novel wasn’t complete without it. As an older reader, I kind of agree with her, but I also think that may have made it a novel for an older age group. The level of detail was probably about right for the target age group.

Being a detail person, she also queried a few things: whether Jet’s family would have had enough money to buy a chateau, for example. She understood the narrative purpose of Jet writing to and calling her friend, but felt there was no purpose to her being in Singapore rather than Australia. Miss Twelve was particularly annoyed by the fact that the distance between the two chateaus and (between them and town) seemed inconsistent at different points in the book.

But overall, both of us enjoyed this book. It’s entertaining, believable when it needs to be, and was very engaging. We’ll be looking out for the sequel.

If you enjoyed this review, please visit www.otherdreamsotherlives.home.blog to read more.

[Jill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book I downloaded from the library. It was an audiobook! I'm glad to say it was also narrated by Jacqueline herself, which made it even more special.

Josephine Eloise Thomas and her family move from Sydney to a chateau in Southwest France. It's beautiful and a long way from her best friend, who also moved to Singapore. Luckily, the internet can keep them in touch.

Josephine expects many things. Adventures and inspiration for the stories she loves to write, and maybe finding out more about her French mother, who tragically died when she was a toddler. What she doesn’t expect is to find a beautiful gold locket with the ghost of Louis XVII trapped inside!

Louis is rude and snobbish. He can't understand what's happened to him. How could a French prince understand, not only that he is dead, but that the world has changed in so many ways?

She shuts him away in the locket until she investigates the past. Josephine meets Gabriel, the grandson of the local baker. He's very real, unlike Louis, and handsome, and he helps her when they find strange things are happening in the neighbouring chateau.

Josephine and Gabriel walk into a very dangerous situation. With Louis help, they thwart the art theives and become heros.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jacqueline Harvey really knows how to construct a great story. The author of Alice-Miranda, Willa & Woof, Clementine Rose, Kensy & Max, amongst others, has pulled out another cracker!

Josephine and her family have moved from Australia to rural France to do up a chateau and then rent out rooms to paying guests. When Josephine finds an old locket when they are tidying up she is intrigued. But that intrigue turns to shock when she works out how to open the locket... and out pops the grumpy ghost of Louis the Seventeenth of France.

Her initial shock turns to curiosity as he wants to find out just who Louis is - or was - and why he keeps calling her Madeleine.

Add in a rather cute French boy and some missing art works and you have a story which is going to appeal to lovers of a good mystery.

[Hayley Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a Jacqueline Harvey fan for half my life. This story gave me all the nostalgic Alice-Miranda vibes that I have longed to feel again since the series' end.

I loved the interactive nature of the book, where Harvey has blended multiple modes of narratorial techniques through the prose, emails between characters, diary entries and illustrations. It was a lot of fun going back-and-forth between the French dialogue and glossary. Louis as a character created an omniscience between the reader and plot events; it was intriguing seeing his point of view of modern scenarios and how he was able to aid the living characters.

When I finished this book, I could not stop smiling. I adored the cozy mystery vibes. I can't wait 'til the sequel is released in October!

Also, I am absolutely obsessed with the cover!!

[IvyZuzu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally enjoyed this book a lot, the description is amazing and this incredable book was extremely magical and vivid in description. I would strongly recommend this book to 8-12 year olds. People who enjoy action-packed mysterious or adventurous stories would really enjoy this book too. Jacqueline Harvey is one of my favourite authers who has written lots of books - I have incredibly enjoyed each on. For this book, the main chracter, Josephine, moves to a 300 year old chateau with her family... while unpacking, she finds a locket. She opens the locket when no one's looking and a boy appears in front of her. Who could he be? Why was he in the locket? Is he a ghost? Surely ghosts aren't real..... or are they?

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are all Australians obsessed with moving to France and renovating a chateau? The start of this novel was almost interchangeable with Better Homes and Gardens special feature or your favourite travel blog. A few chapters in and I was hooked. Jacqueline Harvey has written another great story with warm-hearted characters and well described scenery that pairs a pleasing picture. Also liked the addition of diary entries and emails. (Though for some reason they did seem printed in light ink that was a bit hard to read at night if you have aging eyes.. ). Also fantasy is a new genre for Harvey but the ghost seems so real it hardly rates as such. Looking forward to the next dozen books!!

[Aman Dhindsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a 25-year-old, I picked up The Girl and the Ghost looking for something light and nostalgic. It’s a charming mystery with a spooky twist, and Jet is a strong, likeable protagonist. The writing is clearly aimed at a younger audience, which makes it a quick, easy read but that also meant I didn’t feel as emotionally invested as I’d hoped. Some parts felt a bit too neat or predictable, but I can see how it would be magical for its intended age group. A nice break from heavier reads, even if it didn’t fully land for me.

[Sherry Mackay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did not like the way this 12 year-old main character is carrying on about getting boyfriends and getting married to this boy she’s seen once literally. And also the way that she is concentrating on her looks and saying she’s not pretty enough. These are not good things to teach young girls I think.

[Kim Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

skim read in half an hour. 6-8 y/o me would probably have liked it but it was just too plainly written/stilted for adult me. shouldn't read everything that has castle + red hair + bicycle + france!

[Ruby Vistarini · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was cool to learn about people from the past and also learn how to keep a ghost hidden!