Ghosts of Belle Isle

The Virginia Mysteries #3

by Steven K. Smith

Legend says that the haunting lights over the rapids on the James River at night are the ghosts of long-dead soldiers still fighting the Civil War. Just past the water lies historic Belle Isle, the former Union soldier prisoner-of-war camp, now a city park filled with crumbling ruins and dark wooded trails. When brothers Sam and Derek explore the island and local monuments to Richmond’s past on the 150th anniversary of the Civil War with their friend Caitlin, some ghosts may be more alive than they expected! Join the adventure as the kids face a confederate biker gang led by the notorious Mad Dog DeWitt, explore suspended bridges, hidden hideouts, and secret graveyard ceremonies and learning about Robert E. Lee, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and more.

The Virginia Mysteries - Adventures with a twist of history
Book 1 - Summer of the Woods
Book 2 - Mystery on Church Hill
Book 3 - Ghosts of Belle Isle

Genres: Mystery, Adventure, Middle Grade, Childrens, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Civil War

194 pages, Paperback

First published October 9, 2014

About the author

Steven K. Smith writes the middle grade series The Virginia Mysteries, Brother Wars, and Final Kingdom.

Steven lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife and three sons. Born and raised in rural northwestern New Jersey, he moved to Virginia in 2011 and quickly fell in love with its history and charm. Visit his website at www.stevenksmith.net.

When he's not writing, Steven enjoys coaching his boys in sports, hiking, kayaking, naps, and taking away his kids' screen time. Some of his favorite children's books include Where the Red Fern Grows, Rascal, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Bridge to Terabithia, and the Chronicles of Narnia series.

The Virginia Mysteries - Adventures with a twist of history
(Ages 7-12)

Book 1 - Summer of the Woods
Book 2 - Mystery on Church Hill
Book 3 - Ghosts of Belle Isle
Book 4 - Secret of the Staircase
Book 5 - Midnight at the Mansion
Book 6 - Shadows at Jamestown
Book 7 - Spies at Mount Vernon
Book 8 - Escape from Monticello

Brother Wars (Ages 7-12)
Brother Wars
Brother Wars: Cabin Eleven
Brother Wars: The Big Apple

Final Kingdom Trilogy (Ages 10+)
Book 1 - The Missing
Book 2- The Recruit
Book 3 - The Bridge

Reviews

[jv poore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The charmingly impish Jackson boys are back and their parents are out of the country!

Before their teen-aged cousin/care-taker could speed-dial her boyfriend, Derek and his younger brother Sam unwittingly embark on another adventure. Since moving to Richmond, Virginia, the duo has developed a pleasing fascination with the multitude of historical events that took place in and around the area. Steeped in Civil War lore, buoyed by the requisite ghost stories and punctuated with statues mid-street, it is no wonder that their curiosity was piqued.

Enjoying the freedom, Derek and Sam explore Belle Isle riding their bicycles on the narrow, winding trails. Meeting the wrong people mid-expedition takes the brothers off the trails to the ruins of Civil War prison. Graffiti was not necessarily a surprising find, but the fact that a creepy ghost had been chosen as the object d’art proved a bit unnerving. Sam immediately remembered the scary stories shared by the gruff, elderly next door neighbor. Mr. Haskins relayed true accounts of the “War Between States”, but he may have taken some liberties when telling of the ghosts. Visiting his best friend at her mother’s bookstore, Sam notices the same ghost decorating the distressed leather stretched taunt across the backs of a motorcycle gang.

As the boys attempt to connect the dots, the reader is treated to a potpourri of awesome. Details such as Lincoln’s visit to Richmond days before his demise, Lee’s surrender, the family rifts caused by the battles enhance the history we learned in school. Conversations are quick, witty and spot on and serve to color the characters in a realistic hue. Sage advice (and a demonstration) as to how to handle bullies comes from a surprising source and brings levity, along with a gentle reminder not to form an opinion based solely on outward appearances. The knowledge that brothers tease, torment and argue, but ultimately have your back, provides a sweet side-note.

This fast-paced, courageous tale is ideal for young readers to enjoy alone or reading aloud with a sibling. The solid, no-frills-needed, writing style of Mr. Smith is particularly appealing to parents, grand-parents, teachers…..really any adult in the fortunate position of reading to a child. Captivated by the ghost stories, readers may be inspired to gather the family and traipse around Belle Isle, keeping a watchful eye out for mysterious lights over the river.

[Jessaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new mystery by Steven K. Smith, and already I am intrigued. A ghost story. I love ghost stories, especially those involving pre-teens and teens.

Sam and Derek are brothers, and in this novel their parents are flying off to Paris and leaving them with a babysitter, a college girl named Meghan, who is also their cousin. Meghan meets the boys and says to Derek, “Last time I saw you I think you were in kindergarten,” and Sam says, “Don’t worry. He still acts the same.” Brothers. Mine used to tell me that our mother was calling me, and I would say, “No, she isn’t,” and he would reply, “Then go tell her to.”

I just love the interactions between the two brothers. They remind me of my growing with two brothers and two sisters, which I hated at the time. And Meghan reminds me of my step-dad’s niece who came to visit, not to baby-sit us, but just to eat my mother’s homemade no bake fudge cookies, which I hid the next time she visited. I have never wondered what happened to her when I grew up.

What happens next in this story? The boys tell a neighbor that they are going to go bike riding at Belle Isle, and the neighbor warns them of ghosts. Maybe confederate ghosts, or union or both. I know a woman that was parked at an intersection waiting to go across the street in her car, and right before her eyes she saw some Confederate soldiers crossing the street and then disappearing like vapor, so I believe in ghosts. Maybe they will too before the end of this book.

They learn that there is a long list of things that they are going to do for fun while their parents are away, but when they find out that Meghan is more interested in her boyfriend than she is them, Sam looks over at his older brother Derek and says, “I don’t have a good feeling about her,” and I think, “No, this is great!

They will hang out on Belle Isle every day instead of doing the other things on their list. And then they will solve the mystery of the ghosts that live there.” Maybe. Then Derek says, “This is going to be great?” I like Derek, we think alike. Freedom. That is how it should be. My own sister, when babysitting us kids, would just tell us to go out and play, and that we did. She would add, “Just come home for dinner,” as if I knew what time it because I didn’t own a watch.

So now the boys are on Belle Isle exploring an old hydro electric plant that is well hidden in the trees, and then he remembers how their neighbor also told them that he had lost his friend on that Isle. Never to be seen again. Ghosts? And what are those floating lights that their neighbor saw that looked like faces of Union soldiers who died in the prison camp there? Maybe they were just will ‘o the wisps. Maybe not.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters continue to evolve in this third book in the Virginia Mysteries series. Brothers Sam and Derek Johnson are regaled with tales of dead Confederate soldier ghosts by their elderly neighbor. Nearby Belle Isle was a prisoner of war camp for northern soldiers during the Civil War. The Johnson parents leave for Paris for a week and college age cousin Meghan comes to stay with them. However, Meghan is more interested in her boyfriend and her phone than she is her young cousins so the boys have more leniency than they would have with their parents.

On a trip to Belle Isle to ride their bicycles the boys see a motorcycle gang doing something strange. There's a scary legend about this gang. While this is not as much of a mystery as the previous book, it is spooky and there's lots of adventure until it culminates in a climax at night on Belle Isle.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have been eagerly following this mystery series that takes place in Richmond VA, where we live. My son read and loved Summer of the Woods. We were excited about the Ghosts of Belle Isle, a place that we visit regularly. This book is a little bigger and denser than the first and was a bit intimidating to my 7 year old son (though he wouldn't admit that) so I decided to read it first. The Jackson brothers are 10 and 12 now and left with their older cousin for a week while their parents are out of the country. Their cousin is more interested in her boyfriend than watching her cousins, so the boys end up on some adventures on their own. Their older neighbor tells them a ghost story about Belle Isle, a former Civil War prisoner-of-war camp so the boys are already looking for ghosts and lights on the island as they ride the bikes. They also start to investigate other Civil War landmarks around town and tie in the history to the present as they cross paths with a biker gang that goes by the name of the Confederate Ghosts. I really enjoy the history lessons about the Civil War, President Lincoln and the historical city of Richmond that comes with youthful adventure and exploration of the cool town that we live in. This is a great mix of history and adventure for young readers - even if I'd hate to think of my son quite having this adventure (yet)!

[Bree Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

By Bree Wolf, author of Fireflies

Although ‘Mystery on Church Hill’ is definitely my favorite, ‘Ghosts of Belle Isle’ is a wonderful MG read too! I love how it connects the reader to times long gone. Not only the main characters, Sam and Derek, learn about history but we do as well. And it’s so wonderful finding history filled with real people and not stuffy textbooks!

[Roxanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book from my grandson! It is part of a series of Virginia mysteries. Lots of drama, history and curious kids. Get your kids onto this elder’s!

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was a real treat - for boys, a spooky mystery and even a bit of history thrown in. The writing flows well and is very appropriate for the age group. The brothers have a wonderful relationship (of course, not perfect) and it was fun to follow them as they took advantage of their less the responsible baby-sitter and headed off into adventure.

There's never too many clues, and the tension stays high enough to keep those pages turning. The tidbits of history sprinkled in aren't boring things which will lose a kid's attention, but are interesting and will remain hanging.

Summed up, this is an enjoyable read (especially for boys) which not only weaves a great and spooky mystery but teaches kids more about an intriguing past.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen Yohanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know that this book was for middle grade readers when I received it but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Except for the crazy adventures, the book portrays the 10 and 12 year old children realistically. They have normal reactions and dialog for their age group and I think that children will relate to them. I learned a few things that I didn't knows about Richmond, Lincoln and The Civil War and maybe others will too. I gave this book 5 stars.

I received this book for free from the Goodreads First Read Program and they asked for an honest review.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was good but didn't hold my interest like books 1&2. I bought all of them for my Kindle, so I may take a little break before continuing with book 4.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have a Little Library on our street. My oldest, 30, is also a reader. He likes visiting the Little Library as well. He recently bought home Ghosts of Belle Isle. It's #3 of the 11 in The Virginia Mysteries series. It's a series that takes place in around Richmond and Virginia. We recently moved to Richmond 2 years ago. He read it. Instead I ordered the first two books from my library, read them both and now completed #3.

I love how the author, Steven K. Smith, has incorporated the city/state he lives in with the children's stories he's written. Ghosts of Belle Isle is the longest/thickest book of the 3. If you are from Virginia or live in Virginia, you'll know most details in the stories, but I'm sure you'll also learn plenty too, like me.

Like the Hardy Boy books I grew up reading, Derek and Sam are also brothers. They are now 12 and 10, though I feel they haven't matured and act like they did 3 years ago when we were first introduced to them in Summer of the Woods.

Derek and Sam's parents are in Paris, on an anniversary trip. Their out of town/state older cousin, Meghan is left in charge, except she's is more interested in her boyfriend, and leaves the boys on their own to explore and fend for themselves.

This story returns to Richmond and this time we learn about ghosts of the long-dead soldiers still fighting the Civil War on Belle Isle. It's in downtown Richmond along the James River, and it's a really cool place to hike with lots of history. It was once the Union soldier prisoner-of-war camp. We have hiked the trails and visited the crumbling ruins.

The story also takes us to a number of other locations around Richmond: Hollywood Cemetery where two presidents are buried, James Monroe and John Tyler and the only Confederate State president Jefferson Davis. This is where the two boys and Caitlin encounter the confederate biker gang, The Confederate Ghosts, led by Mad Dog DeWitt.

In 2014 when this story was written, the confederate statues along the famous street Monument Avenue where still standing. They came down in the last couple of years.

I have yet to tour Historic Tredegar, the American Civil War Museum. It's on Brown Island downtown across the way from Belle Isle, though I have been on Brown Island last summer for their annual Folk Festival and where many other summer concerts take place.

There is so much to learn and fun reading these books. I've ordered #4, #5 and #6 from my library.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

•audiobook•

The third book in the series seems to lose its luster.
This story takes place the summer following the previous book. Although the boys have aged, they still act as young as they had in the first book.
After a morning ride to Belle Isle, Sam is thrown from his bike when older boys ride past him and cut him off. Dropped off at his friend’s bookstore, the reader is led to believe he has spent several summer days there. However, Caitlin gave him directions to the bathroom. Made it feel inconsistent.
I liked how we met different people and the youngsters were still innocent. This delved into the Civil War history, differing from the first two books’ focus on persons from the American Revolution. It was interesting. As a native Virginian, I knew a lot about Belle Isle’s industrial contributions to Richmond’s heritage, but learned about its darker history.
I had bought the first three books in a bookset on Audible. It started off strong and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although the time was not wasted, I have no intention of following Sam, Derrick, and Caitlin as they continue to explore the rich historical myths, legends, and stories of Virginia.

[Carol L. Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

These stories by Steven Smith are the salt of the earth for middle grade boys. Like the Hardy Boys series, they are about two brothers that just can't stay out of trouble. But these stories have a healthy dose of history in them. The Ghosts of Belle Isle concerns the Civil War in Richmond, VA. Derek and Sam learn more than the classroom could teach them, especially from Sam's friend Caitlin who is a voracious reader. They also learn that you cannot judge a book by its cover and at the same time Derek gets some big boy credits at school.

[The History Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle-grade series of 8 books is perfect for reluctant history readers in grades 3-6. Written with nonstop action and funny sibling squabbles that kids will like, these books introduce history in a way that is accessible and interesting. By including a current mystery element to the historical sites, even kids who aren’t fans of learning about “boring” history will fly through the books! Bonus for those who live in Virginia - all of the sites are easily visited and many have been reviewed on The History Mom!

[Eileen Patterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book

This book tackles some serious topics, like bullying and stereotyping, and it touches on how the Civil War is viewed differently for some people in the south (who call it the war of northern aggression). It's also a fun story about ghosts and adventures and friends. Caitlin returns as a character, and Derek and Sam introduce us to their older cousin who probably shouldn't be a babysitter. It's all in good fun and I enjoyed reading it.

[Ken Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third instalment in this series differs from the first two in the sense that there’s no proper mystery here. Some people might find that annoying, while others, myself included, will think it a nice twist. The book is mostly well-written, with just a few minor mistakes scattered throughout. My seven-year-old son enjoyed it, as did I. Right towards the end of the book, the author wrote something that made me laugh. Frankly, that was the difference between three and four stars.

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this historical mystery series, which live up to their colorful atmospheric covers, in the gift shop at St. John’s historic Church in Richmond, Virginia. The two main protagonist brothers have realistic irritating quirks, and the interactions with fellow students are also, sadly, realistic. The ghosts of the title are not what’s expected in more ways than one.
Although I do really like the covers, in this one the bridge is not accurately rendered.

[Don Rollins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not an adventure, but valuable lessons.

This edition of the series did not posses the qualities of an adventuresome mystery . The book was not captivating, making the read less exciting. However, the book does contain lessons, or topics, that could be used to open discussions with young reader's.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had a fine story, but less mystery. I love it when I learn from children's lit. Civil War and the lasting effects were discussed here. I mostly appreciated the author's note at the beginning. It's important that we all keep learning and trying to understand the reprocussions of history and our actions.

[O-Goodreads P · Rating 3 out of 5]

If day this book is written for second to fourth grade readers. Linear plot with basic character development. Didn't really detect any bias or underlying agendas. I did like that the author wove some historical facts into the story. No cursing, gratuitous violence, or sexual content.

[LadyO_ Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Nostalgic Middle Grade

I found this book in a Free Little Library and happy to have read for Middle Grade March.
We follow Derek, his brother Sam, and their friend Caitlin as they enjoy the summer while Derek and Sam's parents are away. Of course, there is the distracted babysitter, Meghan, who is also their cousin; becomes a little too distracted while she is supposed to caring for the boys. We also meet the wonderful grumpy old neighbor, Mr. Haskin, (absolutely gives Dennis the Menace vibes) who plants the seed of the Ghost story.

I loved seeing the relationship between the brothers grow and appreciated the southern perspective on the Civil War along with the reminder, no matter what side the soldiers of the time were on, they all deserve to remembered for their service and sacrifice which plays a big role in the character of Mad Dow DeWitt.

Excellent story looking forward to seeing if I can find the other books in the series and will add to my kiddos (he is two lol) library so we can enjoy together one day.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, amazing book said my 11yr old

We love this whole series, I have two boys, 9 and 11 and the brother dynamic in the series is great for them

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Richmonder so loved this homegrown tale.

[Perez-B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

5*. This is a great kidlit series. 2 Brothers age 10 and 12 seem to always run into trouble. Mystery, history and humor!

[Bridget Neace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really didn't care for it, but I think part of that is due to the narrator who grated my last nerve, so I'm being generous and giving the story an additional star because of that factor.

[Alastair · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the ways the characters made decisions after they learned something new, and I liked the jokes. But the book wasn't that interesting otherwise. 2.5 stars.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review for Ghosts of Belle Isle

I absolutely loved it! Another excellent Virginia mysteries! This is a must read series! I can’t wait for the next book!

[Yvonne Rankin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. I grew up in Richmond and had never heard of Belle Isle. Learned something new along with enjoying the book.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely written. Just had to explain and discuss the Civil War in better detail with my son. He said he enjoyed the book though. 👍🏼