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Ghosts of War #1
The Secret of Midway
In the basement of his family's junkshop, Anderson and his friends Greg and Julie discover a trunk full of old military stuff. Including a battered navy peacoat from World War II, and when Anderson puts it on he finds a mysterious letter in the pocket. Curious, he takes the coat and letter home. But that's not all he brings home...
Later that evening the ghost of a World War II sailor appears in Anderson's room. Anderson is completely freaked out. Who is the ghost and why hasn't he crossed over? But most importantly, what does he want with Anderson?
Anderson, Greg, and Julie set out to find the truth and are soon wrapped up in a mystery that's over seventy years old. But it quickly becomes a race against the clock as they search to put the clues of sailor's life together before he vanishes for good. After everything he gave for his country, can Anderson, Julie, and Greg solve the mystery of the ghost before he disappears forever?
Later that evening the ghost of a World War II sailor appears in Anderson's room. Anderson is completely freaked out. Who is the ghost and why hasn't he crossed over? But most importantly, what does he want with Anderson?
Anderson, Greg, and Julie set out to find the truth and are soon wrapped up in a mystery that's over seventy years old. But it quickly becomes a race against the clock as they search to put the clues of sailor's life together before he vanishes for good. After everything he gave for his country, can Anderson, Julie, and Greg solve the mystery of the ghost before he disappears forever?
208 pages, Paperback
First published December 30, 2014
34 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Steve Watkins
65 books78 followersSteve Watkins is the author of the young adult novels Stolen by Night, On Blood Road, Juvie, What Comes After, and Great Falls, as well as the middle-grade novels Down Sand Mountain, Sink or Swim, and the Ghosts of War series, including The Secret of Midway, Lost at Khe Sanh, AWOL in North Africa, and Fallen in Fredericksburg.
A former professor of journalism, creative writing, and Vietnam War literature, Steve is the cofounder and editor of Pie & Chai, a monthly magazine that you can find and read online at pieandchaimagazine.com.
A former professor of journalism, creative writing, and Vietnam War literature, Steve is the cofounder and editor of Pie & Chai, a monthly magazine that you can find and read online at pieandchaimagazine.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
March 15, 2017
This book is good because its about 3 friends who found a chest in the basement.Each of them grab a thing in the chest.Then a ghost came out of the cloth that one of them grab.This book is really good I would recommend this book to my friends.
October 26, 2018
Personal Response:
I liked the book Ghosts of War The Secret of Midway because it was about World War II battles on the sea. I thought that the book had a couple transition issues. I thought that the ghost in the book did not make sense on how its physics worked.
Plot:
This book starts out with the main character Anderson, he is 12 years old with his buddy Greg decide to start a band in the basement of his uncle’s junk shop. They had to clean out the basement to create space in order to start the band. While clearing it, Anderson comes across a military chest with a yellow glow around it. He opens it to find a old navy pea coat, and which he takes home. He heads home with the jacket and finds an old letter in the coat. Later that night a figure forms in his room with its first words saying “that's mine”. The ghost doesn’t know who he is and why he is there.The next day Anderson and Greg talk about adding another member to their band named Julie. The ghost later appears next to Anderson at lunch, and Julie became stunned from seeing it form. The next day Anderson tracks down who the letter belongs to, which is an old girlfriend from the soldier. The old lady tells him what his name was and other background information. The ghosts name is William Foxwell, he was a 2nd class sailor. William begins to remember what happened back on the battleship during a battle. He tells them about the attacks on which he froze and managed to survive the attack from the bombers from Japan.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone in middle school. The reader should like war and history for it to be interesting. I suggest that the reader focuses more on the story that the ghost tells.
Characterization:
The main character Anderson is a 6th grader who is a normal kid. He changes throughout the book with the many mysteries during it. He becomes more of a history fan as the book goes on. He likes the adventure that the ghost takes him and his friends along.
I liked the book Ghosts of War The Secret of Midway because it was about World War II battles on the sea. I thought that the book had a couple transition issues. I thought that the ghost in the book did not make sense on how its physics worked.
Plot:
This book starts out with the main character Anderson, he is 12 years old with his buddy Greg decide to start a band in the basement of his uncle’s junk shop. They had to clean out the basement to create space in order to start the band. While clearing it, Anderson comes across a military chest with a yellow glow around it. He opens it to find a old navy pea coat, and which he takes home. He heads home with the jacket and finds an old letter in the coat. Later that night a figure forms in his room with its first words saying “that's mine”. The ghost doesn’t know who he is and why he is there.The next day Anderson and Greg talk about adding another member to their band named Julie. The ghost later appears next to Anderson at lunch, and Julie became stunned from seeing it form. The next day Anderson tracks down who the letter belongs to, which is an old girlfriend from the soldier. The old lady tells him what his name was and other background information. The ghosts name is William Foxwell, he was a 2nd class sailor. William begins to remember what happened back on the battleship during a battle. He tells them about the attacks on which he froze and managed to survive the attack from the bombers from Japan.
Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone in middle school. The reader should like war and history for it to be interesting. I suggest that the reader focuses more on the story that the ghost tells.
Characterization:
The main character Anderson is a 6th grader who is a normal kid. He changes throughout the book with the many mysteries during it. He becomes more of a history fan as the book goes on. He likes the adventure that the ghost takes him and his friends along.
April 1, 2019
Ghosts of war The Secret of Midway
this weekend i read “Ghosts of war the secret of midway” by Steve Watkins.
The book was about a kid called Anderson and his friends Greg and Julie in search of a william foxwell that was lost in the battle of Midway. Anderson asked william how did he got lost in the battle of midway and what did he know about the battle of midway.
After Anderson told his friends about it they started to search william and also they found a letter to a girl named betty when william told anderson about how the americans won the battle of midway by using their
Bombers and how william got found by some japanese people but they'd had killed him, and then william foxwell left and lived a peaceful life in heaven with out no question.
this weekend i read “Ghosts of war the secret of midway” by Steve Watkins.
The book was about a kid called Anderson and his friends Greg and Julie in search of a william foxwell that was lost in the battle of Midway. Anderson asked william how did he got lost in the battle of midway and what did he know about the battle of midway.
After Anderson told his friends about it they started to search william and also they found a letter to a girl named betty when william told anderson about how the americans won the battle of midway by using their
Bombers and how william got found by some japanese people but they'd had killed him, and then william foxwell left and lived a peaceful life in heaven with out no question.
Read
May 7, 2018 It was very good. I was glad william foxwell knows where he came from.
November 4, 2022
In the history of World War II in the Pacific theater, there is no question which battle was the turning point. It took place on June 4-7 in 1942 and some have called it the “most decisive battle in the history of naval warfare.“ In the span of only a few hours, the power of the Japanese navy to project air power from carriers was largely destroyed. Not only did they lose four carriers, but the planes, pilots and highly trained crews could not be replaced.
Anderson and his friends Greg and Julie want to conduct the practice of their makeshift band in the basement of the junk shop of Anderson’s family. While rearranging for space in a room, they open an old trunk and find memorabilia of a sailor in World War II. The act of removing a navy peacoat from the trunk triggers a supernatural event where the ghost of a long-dead sailor appears. An old letter from the sailor is found in the peacoat and that leads the three friends to the person the letter was addressed to. While doing that, they learn a great deal about the battle of Midway and the consequences.
This story has many features, a sound history lesson on the battle of Midway, the human cost of war when men leave home and their friends and lovers to fight and die in war and the general trials and tribulations of being a teen in the modern world. All of these features are put together very well in order to make a great book for young adults.
Anderson and his friends Greg and Julie want to conduct the practice of their makeshift band in the basement of the junk shop of Anderson’s family. While rearranging for space in a room, they open an old trunk and find memorabilia of a sailor in World War II. The act of removing a navy peacoat from the trunk triggers a supernatural event where the ghost of a long-dead sailor appears. An old letter from the sailor is found in the peacoat and that leads the three friends to the person the letter was addressed to. While doing that, they learn a great deal about the battle of Midway and the consequences.
This story has many features, a sound history lesson on the battle of Midway, the human cost of war when men leave home and their friends and lovers to fight and die in war and the general trials and tribulations of being a teen in the modern world. All of these features are put together very well in order to make a great book for young adults.
September 28, 2016
I like this book because it has a ghost in it that tells it story of the war. I learned some history and stuff I did not know and it help me like history a little more. I would recommend this book to people who like war and ships and history.
November 3, 2025
During world war 2 there were a bunch of people that were lost and never found. The book “Ghosts of War: The Secret of Midway” by Steve Watkins has a lot of mystery and knowledge to gain from it. The theme of the book is even if things look to be ending it could still be the beginning.
This book is about the adventure of three kids named Anderson, Greg, and Julie that started from finding an old box in the bottom of a junk store. One event in this story that moved it forward was, “But when I got down there, the old locker was glowing again, with that same shimmering golden light. I was sure of it this time” (Watkins 12). This shows importance because Anderson saw the light before when he was down in the basement already and he saw it this time more clearly proving it was not just his imagination. Another piece of the story that moves it forward is, “But there was somebody in my room” (Watkins 18). This helps move the story forward because a person randomly shows up inside of Anderson’s room. Another part of the story that helps move it forward is, “But apparently there were such things as ghosts” (Watkins 20). This shows how there is a ghost that showed up out of nowhere inside of Anderson's room. Also in the story it shares, “Greg and Julie saw it, too” (Watkins 54). This is important because not just one person can see the ghosts but Greg and Julie could see it too. Finally, the last piece of the story that advances it is, “‘What was his name?” Mrs. DeMille smiled a sad smile. “William Foxwell”’ (Watkins 59). This is an advancement in the story because no one knew the ghost's name other than his past lover because of how old he was.
This book would be good to read for people who want to learn a bit about world war two and who want to experience a detective type story of three kids researching about a ghost that went missing long ago. Strengths about this book are that every piece of this story makes sense and was put together very strong. Also it shares a lot of very good information about world war two that most people would not know about. A weakness about this book is that there were some parts of it that didn’t make a lot of difference and can be very forgotten about.
In all though this book was pretty good and has a lot of good pieces but sometimes stuff the story can get very bland and boring but never a bad book. Also the book can be super good and super good so that balances it out helping it a lot. That is a lot of stuff about the good book called “Ghosts of War :The Secret of Midway”.
-Sam Tessem
This book is about the adventure of three kids named Anderson, Greg, and Julie that started from finding an old box in the bottom of a junk store. One event in this story that moved it forward was, “But when I got down there, the old locker was glowing again, with that same shimmering golden light. I was sure of it this time” (Watkins 12). This shows importance because Anderson saw the light before when he was down in the basement already and he saw it this time more clearly proving it was not just his imagination. Another piece of the story that moves it forward is, “But there was somebody in my room” (Watkins 18). This helps move the story forward because a person randomly shows up inside of Anderson’s room. Another part of the story that helps move it forward is, “But apparently there were such things as ghosts” (Watkins 20). This shows how there is a ghost that showed up out of nowhere inside of Anderson's room. Also in the story it shares, “Greg and Julie saw it, too” (Watkins 54). This is important because not just one person can see the ghosts but Greg and Julie could see it too. Finally, the last piece of the story that advances it is, “‘What was his name?” Mrs. DeMille smiled a sad smile. “William Foxwell”’ (Watkins 59). This is an advancement in the story because no one knew the ghost's name other than his past lover because of how old he was.
This book would be good to read for people who want to learn a bit about world war two and who want to experience a detective type story of three kids researching about a ghost that went missing long ago. Strengths about this book are that every piece of this story makes sense and was put together very strong. Also it shares a lot of very good information about world war two that most people would not know about. A weakness about this book is that there were some parts of it that didn’t make a lot of difference and can be very forgotten about.
In all though this book was pretty good and has a lot of good pieces but sometimes stuff the story can get very bland and boring but never a bad book. Also the book can be super good and super good so that balances it out helping it a lot. That is a lot of stuff about the good book called “Ghosts of War :The Secret of Midway”.
-Sam Tessem
January 30, 2019
What it’s about:
The Secret of Midway by Steve Watkins is about a kid named Anderson, and a group of his friends go in his family's basement in their junk shop. In the basement, they find a trunk full of old military stuff that included a navy pea coat from WWII. Inside the pocket of the pea coat was a letter written by a sailor back in that time. When Anderson brings the items home, the ghost of the WWII sailor appeared in front of all of the kids eyes!
What I thought:
I thought this book was pretty interesting and very fun to read. The plot itself brought a ton of suspense and make the book ten times better which the urge to know what is going to happen next. Also, the book gave a little bit of a history lesson with learning about the Battle of Midway which was an actual event during World War II.
Why I rated it like I did:
I rated this book 3 stars because I liked it, but it could have been better. The story line of the book wasn't really the best in my opinion and I wasn't really intrigued with what the story was about. I do recommend this book to anyone who loves history and WWII, and anyone who wants to get to know more about the history of this event and how this affected many peoples lives. This was a great book, just wasn't the one for me.
The Secret of Midway by Steve Watkins is about a kid named Anderson, and a group of his friends go in his family's basement in their junk shop. In the basement, they find a trunk full of old military stuff that included a navy pea coat from WWII. Inside the pocket of the pea coat was a letter written by a sailor back in that time. When Anderson brings the items home, the ghost of the WWII sailor appeared in front of all of the kids eyes!
What I thought:
I thought this book was pretty interesting and very fun to read. The plot itself brought a ton of suspense and make the book ten times better which the urge to know what is going to happen next. Also, the book gave a little bit of a history lesson with learning about the Battle of Midway which was an actual event during World War II.
Why I rated it like I did:
I rated this book 3 stars because I liked it, but it could have been better. The story line of the book wasn't really the best in my opinion and I wasn't really intrigued with what the story was about. I do recommend this book to anyone who loves history and WWII, and anyone who wants to get to know more about the history of this event and how this affected many peoples lives. This was a great book, just wasn't the one for me.
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September 6, 2019Summary
Anderson's family owns an antique store. That's where he finds a mysterious trunk full of old war stuff. There's something special about what he finds in this trunk. It gives him a mission to investigate the past and help a ghost. can he help him in time?
Evaluation
I like this book because it tells about a story in WWII that is not very popular. I did not know about the Battle of Midway before and it foes a good job of getting me interested in the individual battle.
Teaching
I would use this book when teaching about WWII to tell about the many different battles of WWII. I would also make sure to go over the part of the book that talks about how the Japanese had thought they had won after the Devastators had been released but then they were surprised by the attack of the dive-bombers.
Anderson's family owns an antique store. That's where he finds a mysterious trunk full of old war stuff. There's something special about what he finds in this trunk. It gives him a mission to investigate the past and help a ghost. can he help him in time?
Evaluation
I like this book because it tells about a story in WWII that is not very popular. I did not know about the Battle of Midway before and it foes a good job of getting me interested in the individual battle.
Teaching
I would use this book when teaching about WWII to tell about the many different battles of WWII. I would also make sure to go over the part of the book that talks about how the Japanese had thought they had won after the Devastators had been released but then they were surprised by the attack of the dive-bombers.
May 4, 2023
Really fun, quick-paced, children's ... well, I'm not sure how to classify this. It's a ghost story with the ghost appearing satisfyingly soon (chapter 2), but it doesn't feel like a ghost story. The ghost is more the catalyst for an adventure, historical, mystery kind of thing. All the characters, both present and past, are well-rounded and sympathetic and feel real, somehow without all that much description or introduction. The story is not at all scary, but a sense of growing urgency is effectively, communicated. I read this all in one sitting and am eager to get the next few in the series. :)
December 10, 2017
Ghosts of War: The Secret of Midway is a great tool to tell the story of the Battle of Midway in WWII and the sacrifices made during the war. Scholastic labeled the book as appealing to Elementary School level, but the vocabulary and the subject matter are much better suited for Middle/Junior High School. It's really along the lines of a hi/lo book.
The story changes directions multiple times so it's not obvious how each stage of the story will play out. It's an interesting story. Well done.
The story changes directions multiple times so it's not obvious how each stage of the story will play out. It's an interesting story. Well done.
August 15, 2017
Great read!
My 9yr old son and I were searching for good books to read, anything that had to do with history. Out of a long list of books, he chose this one and I'm glad he did! He finished the book in 4 days and since then has asked if we could learn more about WWll, the battle of midway....pretty much just wants this school year to focus on history lol definitely recommend this book
My 9yr old son and I were searching for good books to read, anything that had to do with history. Out of a long list of books, he chose this one and I'm glad he did! He finished the book in 4 days and since then has asked if we could learn more about WWll, the battle of midway....pretty much just wants this school year to focus on history lol definitely recommend this book
February 10, 2019
Ghosts of War The Secret if Midway was a good book. It was an easy and fun book. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the mystery or historical genre. The plot and idea of it was original and like other plots at the same time. In all it was a good book that kept me interested all the way through it.
May 15, 2019
There is little to no backstory at all, the story loops together too fast without much explanation, that’s why I’m only giving it three stars. That being said, this book is still pretty good, this book is for any people with World War 2 interest and for anybody who would like to learn about the Battle of Midway.
October 16, 2019
It was a nice book at the beginning he went down to the basement and his grandpa was telling a girl that she can be in a band with 3 boys because he said that she would play the piano. Later that day he was in a basement and found a gold-like chest and his friend snuck behind him why he was looking inside he found a coat.
May 24, 2017
I liked this book in the beggining, but it seemed to have got boring it wasn't as great as I expected it to be, but it was worth reading I guess. It's about Anderson who meets a ghost of the person who had all the soldier stuff in a trunk. It was an ok book
December 27, 2022
I started this series to see if I wanted to recommend these books to my students. I can say I would definitely recommend these. Great story line, includes wonderful historical information, and keeps the reader interested. I would totally recommend these for young readers who love history.
July 21, 2017
Different approach with a ghost helping to uncover the details of the Battle of Midway, but the plot seemed a bit slow at times.
October 16, 2017
Good intro for kids to the concept of war.
September 7, 2018
Amazing mystery.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2020
Read to Kai
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November 16, 2020I love this series! I hope a lot of kids read these books, so they have some idea about our veterans and the stories that go with.
November 19, 2020
It was awesome because it was based on the battle of midway in world war II.
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February 8, 2021It was pretty good but it wasn't my favorite book.
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July 30, 2023I have been trying to find this book for ages. I have vivid memories of reading it but could never remember the title. I found my summary while cleaning out my Google Drive and felt so accomplished.
November 22, 2023
Where my newfound love for historical novels began… was when I found this book at our scholastic book fair in elementary school
June 11, 2024
Great kids book and a quick read - I love stories about ghosts! Also an awesome way to get kids interested in history!
April 7, 2025
Ok. I think it's a good way to get kids to learn history.
June 5, 2025
My son and I enjoyed this historical fiction novel about the Battle of Midway. It is a story geared toward middle school children. My son looks forward to reading more in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews