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My Friend Walter
Elizabeth Throckmorton finds herself visited by the ghost of her distant ancestor, Sir Walter Raleigh.
184 pages, Paperback
First published September 12, 1988
46 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Michael Morpurgo
630 books3,035 followersSir Michael Andrew Morpurgo, OBE, FRSL is the author of many books for children, five of which have been made into films. He also writes his own screenplays and libretti for opera. Born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, in 1943, he was evacuated to Cumberland during the last years of the Second World War, then returned to London, moving later to Essex. After a brief and unsuccessful spell in the army, he took up teaching and started to write. He left teaching after ten years in order to set up 'Farms for City Children' with his wife. They have three farms in Devon, Wales and Gloucestershire, open to inner city school children who come to stay and work with the animals. In 1999 this work was publicly recognised when he and his wife were invested a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to youth. In 2003, he was advanced to an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (FRSL) in 2004. He was knighted in the 2018 for his services to literature and charity. He is also a father and grandfather, so children have always played a large part in his life. Every year he and his family spend time in the Scilly Isles, the setting for three of his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
February 21, 2023
Delightful and heart warming tale of a distant descendent of Sir Walter Raleigh, meeting his ghost! And as a result an even more amazing story emerges from this meeting. Another great book by this fantastic children's author! 7 out of 12, Three Star read.
2014 read
2014 read
July 24, 2017
‘My Friend Walter’ is a great ghostly story from Michael Morpurgo and whilst maybe not up there with his best (for me – War Horse, Kensuke’s Kingdom, Private Peaceful, An Elephant in the Garden and Alone on the Wide, Wide Sea) it is still a very well-constructed and written great short read.
There are definite hints here of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Canterville Ghost’ (itself no bad thing) but Morpurgo is no way out to mimic or rewrite Wilde’s classic story. I’m reminded reading ‘My Friend Walter’ that Morpurgo is oft referred to as the ‘Master Storyteller’ – indeed he has in the past referred to himself as much more of a storyteller as opposed to an author. There are rarely any long passages of descriptive prose in Morpurgo – likewise here. This direct storytelling approach does provide a simplicity, directness and inertia to the narrative which ensures the better Morpurgo novels (‘My Friend Walter’ included) are always accessible and compelling page turners. The historical referencing here is also good, interesting and subtly educational.
So for fans of Morpurgo and others – this is one of his novels not to be over-looked and is definitely worth taking the time out read.
There are definite hints here of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Canterville Ghost’ (itself no bad thing) but Morpurgo is no way out to mimic or rewrite Wilde’s classic story. I’m reminded reading ‘My Friend Walter’ that Morpurgo is oft referred to as the ‘Master Storyteller’ – indeed he has in the past referred to himself as much more of a storyteller as opposed to an author. There are rarely any long passages of descriptive prose in Morpurgo – likewise here. This direct storytelling approach does provide a simplicity, directness and inertia to the narrative which ensures the better Morpurgo novels (‘My Friend Walter’ included) are always accessible and compelling page turners. The historical referencing here is also good, interesting and subtly educational.
So for fans of Morpurgo and others – this is one of his novels not to be over-looked and is definitely worth taking the time out read.
January 24, 2023
Reread this 1980s children's classic. The dry humour and beautifully worked-out plot are still a delight. Love the voice of Walter Raleigh's ghost, and his nonchalance about travelling on the London Underground.
Favourite line: "I have reflected much through the night and know now that you questioned more my wisdom than mine honour, and my wisdom I have often questioned myself..."
Favourite line: "I have reflected much through the night and know now that you questioned more my wisdom than mine honour, and my wisdom I have often questioned myself..."
January 17, 2014
Star Rating: **** 3.5 stars
You may think being in the presence of an Elizabethan ghost would be a rather scary experience. Not for Bess Throckmorton. In fact it is an entertaining, exciting and at times tricky experience.
Bess Throckmorton met a mysterious relative during a family reunion at the Tower of London who soon revealed to her that he is none other than Sir Walter Raleigh. The same Walter Raleigh that laid his cloak down for Queen Elizabeth I to save her from a muddy puddle. The same Walter Raleigh who has been dead since 1618.
Bess takes her ghostly new friend back to Devon with her where he causes untold mischief: absconding the family’s beloved horse Sally; smoking cigars and causing destruction in the house (which Bess gets the blame for). These events were done with the best intentions however, which the Throckmortons discover at their time of most need.
My Friend Walter is a delightful read with a full complement of mystery, comedy and drama. During my first placement I introduced the class to this book following their trip to the Tower of London. It fitted in nicely with their learning; allowing them to explore and extend their personal interest in the historic Tower. This book could be used in role play to illustrate and reflect upon the characters perspectives, allowing children to empathise with figures in history. Or you could use it as a basis for comparing the two different time zones.
You may think being in the presence of an Elizabethan ghost would be a rather scary experience. Not for Bess Throckmorton. In fact it is an entertaining, exciting and at times tricky experience.
Bess Throckmorton met a mysterious relative during a family reunion at the Tower of London who soon revealed to her that he is none other than Sir Walter Raleigh. The same Walter Raleigh that laid his cloak down for Queen Elizabeth I to save her from a muddy puddle. The same Walter Raleigh who has been dead since 1618.
Bess takes her ghostly new friend back to Devon with her where he causes untold mischief: absconding the family’s beloved horse Sally; smoking cigars and causing destruction in the house (which Bess gets the blame for). These events were done with the best intentions however, which the Throckmortons discover at their time of most need.
My Friend Walter is a delightful read with a full complement of mystery, comedy and drama. During my first placement I introduced the class to this book following their trip to the Tower of London. It fitted in nicely with their learning; allowing them to explore and extend their personal interest in the historic Tower. This book could be used in role play to illustrate and reflect upon the characters perspectives, allowing children to empathise with figures in history. Or you could use it as a basis for comparing the two different time zones.
September 28, 2023
I enjoyed this story very much and loved learning some history along the way. The style is straightforward and clear and would suit a wide range of readers. To get five stars I would have wanted something more intricate and inferential with more development of the characters.
May 14, 2023
this book would probably be a lot more of a better experience if I read it continuously, but I didn't so my experience was a bit divided and just messy. But enough about that, let me get into the actual review. So I like how two different characters went along pretty well in this book and the plot was well put out. Wish I had a friend like Walter.
September 20, 2024
Slightly creepy but still great.
December 22, 2024
3-3.5!
A reread from my childhood. At first I thought it was a weird premise but I grew to love it and very much enjoyed 'My Friend Walter'.
A reread from my childhood. At first I thought it was a weird premise but I grew to love it and very much enjoyed 'My Friend Walter'.
June 11, 2017
251 - 2017
December 20, 2019
It was very good!I liked it!
September 17, 2014
This story is about a girl called Bess gets an invitation with no name on it, telling them to go to the Bloody Tower, next to the Tower of London. There, Bess finds her ancestor's (Sir Walter Raleigh) ghost waiting for her. He comes back home with her and then news spreads that the golden orb has been stolen from the Tower of London and it was Sir Walter! Sir Walter Raleigh takes the orb to Bess and gives it to her but when her older brother Will finds out about it, he thinks Bess stole it because she had been in London the previous day. Then they hide it (Will & Bess) but they find out that their mother and father had found it. But then Sir Walter Raleigh scares them by taking his head off and putting it under his arm and finally the father finds the orb and they get the huge reward!
(Review by Maya, age 8, Maya's daughter)
(Review by Maya, age 8, Maya's daughter)
March 25, 2015
A charming tale of a young girl who's best friend happens to be the ghost of Sir Walter Raleigh. We follow the story of her family and Walter's tricks and manipulations.
There are hidden moral lessons throughout, and the undercurrent of the book is writing wrongs, and family first.
The narrative is consistently told from Bess's point of view which helps the reader to relate to her as the central character. It is also more likely that this is the best perspective for the reader as the book is aimed at children of similar age to Will and Bess.
There are hidden moral lessons throughout, and the undercurrent of the book is writing wrongs, and family first.
The narrative is consistently told from Bess's point of view which helps the reader to relate to her as the central character. It is also more likely that this is the best perspective for the reader as the book is aimed at children of similar age to Will and Bess.
April 29, 2016
I enjoyed reading this story but it wasn't my favourite Michael morpurgo. The story tells of how the ghost of Walter Raleigh secretly invites his descendants to a party so that he can met them and find a way to right the wrongs committed against him and them when he was in his opinion wrongly beheaded for treason and had the family wealth taken from them.
October 30, 2016
This is not one of the most popular Morpogo books, but I found it interesting and funny. Bess, the narrator is haunted by the ghost of Sir Walter Raleigh and he is a bit of a pain in the neck. He means well, but he just keeps mucking things up for Bess and her family.....
June 2, 2021
My Friend Walter is a historical book which enticed me based on the cover.
Bess is a young girl who has no friends. She lives in her family's farm, with her older brother, younger brother, parents, Gran, and not forgetting her cheeky dog! Then one day, and invitation comes in the mail, written in curiously messy handwriting, inviting the family to a gathering at the Tower of London. Her auntie has recieved an invitation too, so because her Gran has a medical appointment, Bess tags along with her.
Then Bess meets a man, who introduces himself as Walter Raleigh! She;s an ancestor of him, a descendent, and Bess then decides to bring him home with her.
She had just made a friend in the ghost of Walter Raleigh!
Walter and Bess become very close, and go on all sorts of adventures and trips together.
They go fishing, Bess lets Walter ride on one of the family tractors (which he does love, he declares that tractors are majesties compared to cars or something), and they have all sorts of fun together!
But when Bess's older brother Will comes, it becomes hard to do that, and one day he finds his fishing rod tangled and messy in the state Walter left it after fishing. Bess knows he has because her gran found some fish in the kitchen in the morning, and Bess gets blamed, which she finds very annoying.
And one of the major events in the book, is when Bess's gran gets ill! She falls ill after the upsetting news that the farm will have to be sold. Bess of course is distraught. But Walter helps her out, making some sort of potion which will cure Bess's gran. One of the things Walter has done is go in Will's science lab set, and its in one of the bottles from that, so Bess now knows what he was making. Bess puts that in Gran's tea, and most miraculously, Gran is cured.
But then comes the day of the sale. Walter is in the tower of London. Bess, horrified at what is happening, goes to London alone, hoping to find Walter .Before Walter left, he told her everything would be okay. Bess wants to know when and how.
Luckily she meets Walter, who tells her everything will work out eventually.
And it does. But that'll come later.
The family are staying with their auntie, Auntie Marie she's called, When they are taking the dog out for a walk, he nosedives into a bush, and discovers...the lost crown jewels!
The family are given a large sum of money as a reward for finding them, and with that money, they buy another farm. Walter was right you see. Everything did turn out all right!
I have skimmed through this review, and left out quite a lot of important parts. But the book itself is amazing, and educates us about the important historical figure. I've learnt there is a lot more to Mr. Raleigh than him putting a cloak over a puddle for Queen Elizabeth.
Whats your favourite Micheal Morpugho book?
Bess is a young girl who has no friends. She lives in her family's farm, with her older brother, younger brother, parents, Gran, and not forgetting her cheeky dog! Then one day, and invitation comes in the mail, written in curiously messy handwriting, inviting the family to a gathering at the Tower of London. Her auntie has recieved an invitation too, so because her Gran has a medical appointment, Bess tags along with her.
Then Bess meets a man, who introduces himself as Walter Raleigh! She;s an ancestor of him, a descendent, and Bess then decides to bring him home with her.
She had just made a friend in the ghost of Walter Raleigh!
Walter and Bess become very close, and go on all sorts of adventures and trips together.
They go fishing, Bess lets Walter ride on one of the family tractors (which he does love, he declares that tractors are majesties compared to cars or something), and they have all sorts of fun together!
But when Bess's older brother Will comes, it becomes hard to do that, and one day he finds his fishing rod tangled and messy in the state Walter left it after fishing. Bess knows he has because her gran found some fish in the kitchen in the morning, and Bess gets blamed, which she finds very annoying.
And one of the major events in the book, is when Bess's gran gets ill! She falls ill after the upsetting news that the farm will have to be sold. Bess of course is distraught. But Walter helps her out, making some sort of potion which will cure Bess's gran. One of the things Walter has done is go in Will's science lab set, and its in one of the bottles from that, so Bess now knows what he was making. Bess puts that in Gran's tea, and most miraculously, Gran is cured.
But then comes the day of the sale. Walter is in the tower of London. Bess, horrified at what is happening, goes to London alone, hoping to find Walter .Before Walter left, he told her everything would be okay. Bess wants to know when and how.
Luckily she meets Walter, who tells her everything will work out eventually.
And it does. But that'll come later.
The family are staying with their auntie, Auntie Marie she's called, When they are taking the dog out for a walk, he nosedives into a bush, and discovers...the lost crown jewels!
The family are given a large sum of money as a reward for finding them, and with that money, they buy another farm. Walter was right you see. Everything did turn out all right!
I have skimmed through this review, and left out quite a lot of important parts. But the book itself is amazing, and educates us about the important historical figure. I've learnt there is a lot more to Mr. Raleigh than him putting a cloak over a puddle for Queen Elizabeth.
Whats your favourite Micheal Morpugho book?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2025
Summary:
At a family reunion, Bess meets Sir Walter Raleigh’s ghost & he convinces her to take him home with her. However, he causes mischief from the moment he gets there. He breaks her brother’s fishing rod, steals a horse, scares the neighbours & smokes cigars in her room. But all of that becomes the least of Bess’s worries, when she finds out that her family is being evicted. Suddenly, it is up to Sir Walter Raleigh to come to Bess’s rescue….
My Thoughts:
I loved all of Sir Walter’s shenanigans & was reading this book with a smile on my face. It’s a uniquely funny story.
My Rating: * * * *
At a family reunion, Bess meets Sir Walter Raleigh’s ghost & he convinces her to take him home with her. However, he causes mischief from the moment he gets there. He breaks her brother’s fishing rod, steals a horse, scares the neighbours & smokes cigars in her room. But all of that becomes the least of Bess’s worries, when she finds out that her family is being evicted. Suddenly, it is up to Sir Walter Raleigh to come to Bess’s rescue….
My Thoughts:
I loved all of Sir Walter’s shenanigans & was reading this book with a smile on my face. It’s a uniquely funny story.
My Rating: * * * *
February 26, 2023
My Friend Walter is a whimsical tale of magical realism, or perhaps light fantasy, depending on your belief in the super natural. Bess Throckmorton and her family are invited to a family reunion, where she learns of her surprising ancestors - that they are all distantly related to Sir Walter Raleigh. Sir Walter appears to her as a ghost, and causes all kinds of mischief, as well as helping to solve her family’s financial issues.
Bess has always been known for making up stories - so perhaps Sir Walter was also imaginary, but the reader knows better. We get to learn about the real life of an important historical figure, rather than the basic facts (and misinterpretations) that everyone knows. This story is sweet and charming, with no real problems that are always magically solved by the end. My main reason for rating this three stars, is the confusing mix of language used by the ghost. At times, he uses early modern phrases such as “cur” and “mere trifle” and other times sounds entirely post-modern. I appreciate that for a younger audience, the obsolete language and grammar may have been more difficult to understand, but I definitely think it would have given more realism to the ghostly figure. Also, I find it a little creepy that the ghost only reveals himself as the child character holds a striking similarity to his late wife, but perhaps that’s just me reading too much into it.
Overall, it’s definitely a story that children will enjoy, including mischief such as a stolen horse, and stolen jewels, but they can delight in the end by knowing that everything turns out okay. But it’s definitely not one with universal appeal to adult readers, so I think it’ll be a book that’ll be passed on to someone else.
Bess has always been known for making up stories - so perhaps Sir Walter was also imaginary, but the reader knows better. We get to learn about the real life of an important historical figure, rather than the basic facts (and misinterpretations) that everyone knows. This story is sweet and charming, with no real problems that are always magically solved by the end. My main reason for rating this three stars, is the confusing mix of language used by the ghost. At times, he uses early modern phrases such as “cur” and “mere trifle” and other times sounds entirely post-modern. I appreciate that for a younger audience, the obsolete language and grammar may have been more difficult to understand, but I definitely think it would have given more realism to the ghostly figure. Also, I find it a little creepy that the ghost only reveals himself as the child character holds a striking similarity to his late wife, but perhaps that’s just me reading too much into it.
Overall, it’s definitely a story that children will enjoy, including mischief such as a stolen horse, and stolen jewels, but they can delight in the end by knowing that everything turns out okay. But it’s definitely not one with universal appeal to adult readers, so I think it’ll be a book that’ll be passed on to someone else.
November 10, 2024
I loved this book! It's a ghost story but with a twist as Morpurgo didn't portray Raleigh as a typical ghost. I thought it was great that we could see Raleigh's point of view of what happened in his life. Of course, many people know him for laying down his cape so that Elizabeth I could cross the street without getting her dress dirty but he was so much more than that. I learned that he was arrested for treason and died in the Tower of London. Again, Morpurgo has written an informative book with a great storyline.
June 27, 2021
A cute little story … if not a little bit weird. Different to the usual Morpurgo fair but an easy, exciting adventure for tweens but maybe better enjoyed if they know something of the history of Raleigh? it’s not explained in any detail in the book .. or maybe that’s me looking at it from an adult perspective, maybe the background doesn’t matter at all and kids would just sit back and enjoy the story.
July 29, 2017
This book was amazing most of the way through(!) but in the middle of the book from my point of view I began to dislike to the point I couldn't read it at certain times because I didn't want to have any nightmares but apart from that is was an amazing book to read and I really enjoyed it especially the beginning and th end. I also really liked the character's in the book as well.
June 8, 2023
New Words Learnt - 0
Probably the weakest Michael Morpurgo book I've read so far. Not that it was bad or anything, I felt that in places it became a bit too repetitive, in other places it dragged and didn't know what to do. Probably took inspiration from the 1966 World Cup trophy story for its 3rd act.
Alright, but a bit boring.
Probably the weakest Michael Morpurgo book I've read so far. Not that it was bad or anything, I felt that in places it became a bit too repetitive, in other places it dragged and didn't know what to do. Probably took inspiration from the 1966 World Cup trophy story for its 3rd act.
Alright, but a bit boring.
December 21, 2024
Our book group decided to read a children’s book this month, and what a treat this was! A young girl befriends the ghost of Walter Raleigh, who interferes in her life to amusing and ultimately heartwarming effect. It was gently educational without ever being dull. I’m happy to discover that today’s children are reading this.
February 8, 2020
I found this book most heartwarming and interesting, I already love the style and the variation of book Michael Morpurgo writes in and about. this tale is a mixture of friendship, historical fact but in todays world.
September 14, 2020
Another great book by Michael Morpurgo, I’ve always loved his books as they are not only fun but also informative and you learn from them as well as enjoying the story.
A fantastic read and I loved the fact they Sir Walter helped out his ancestors.
A fantastic read and I loved the fact they Sir Walter helped out his ancestors.
February 9, 2021
A good story with a good twist! I always thought Micheal Morpurgo was hard to read because I read War Horse and seem to remember it being hard but his language and way of writing is easy to understand
June 27, 2023
I read this book when I was 10/11 years old. It was my first ‘proper’ book and made me realise I loved reading and I love history. I’m now an architectural historian and I’d say this book laid some of the foundations for that (pardon the pun!)
December 2, 2017
I liked when Walter the ghost called Bess chick and when the man said ze Walter was we first man to smoke tobbaco in england
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2018
Lovely story, great characters, really enjoyed
June 27, 2018
Walter Raleigh 's ghost is met by a little girl who was infant his family. A really great story
August 17, 2018
Really enjoyed the book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews