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Choose Your Own Adventure: Young Readers #33
Ghost Island
You are on an exciting sailing trip with your family. Some kids who live on the island tell you about an old graveyard they think is haunted. Are you brave enough to visit it?
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
5 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Gilligan
38 books7 followersShannon Gilligan began writing fiction for a living after graduating from Williams College in 1981. She has written over fifteen books for children, including eleven in the Choose Your Own Adventure series. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages. She spent a decade working on story-based computer games in the 1990s. Gilligan's day job is publisher of Chooseco, a company she co-founded alongside her late husband, R.A. Montgomery. She lives in Warren, Vermont, but travels widely.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 17, 2025
What adventures could you scare up on the island of Antigua under normal circumstances? How about if you're anchored there at English Harbor, which locals inform you has a cemetery haunted by a malevolent ghost? You're vacationing on the Caribbean Sea with your parents, accompanied by your best friends Jamie and Meg, but you relish the challenge of proving ghosts don't exist. Goaded by Jamie and Meg, you agree to sneak off your parents' boat one night and visit the cemetery alone. You refuse to be intimidated by the scary stories of imaginative islanders.
As darkness arrives your confidence wanes, but you can't back out. Should you actually go to the cemetery, or hide elsewhere and pretend you did? You might run into the ghost of a headless soldier among the gravestones, or see Jamie and Meg show up draped in a white sheet hoping to convince you they're a ghost. Their attempt is pitiful, but that doesn't mean you're safe in the cemetery. If you explore away from the cemetery you'll be mysteriously transported to Antigua of the distant past, before European colonists came. The Arawak Indians populated the island at the time, and you're welcome to live among them and learn their peaceful ways. You may not even want to return home at the first opportunity, but time travel is complicated, and lingering in the past has unforeseen consequences.
Choose to fake your trip to the haunted cemetery, relaxing instead on the beach under the stars, and you won't avoid the ghost of English Harbor. He was a British soldier decapitated centuries ago by Carib Indians. His head wasn't buried with his body, and he demands you steal his skull from a nearby museum and return it so he can rest in peace. The ghost will tolerate nothing but rote compliance, but you're not sure how to pull off this heist. Should you consult Jamie and Meg, or go it solo? Removing the skull without being caught is difficult, but even if that part goes according to plan you aren't guaranteed to be spared the ghost's wrath. Can you return his skull in exactly the manner he prescribed before you and your parents sail away to another Caribbean isle? Angering the ghost is always bad, but you can satisfy him if you're diligent and lucky.
Haunted Harbor isn't a bad book if you find one of the in-depth storylines that don't end prematurely. The most complete adventure is with the Arawak Indians, where you'll find the closest thing in this book to an emotional connection. Out of respect for that narrative branch, I would almost round my one-and-a-half-star rating up instead of down. Bill Schmidt, illustrator of all eighteen original Choose Your Own Nightmare books, does good work in these pages, particularly the night scenes. Haunted Harbor wasn't everything I expected, but it's worth future rereads.
As darkness arrives your confidence wanes, but you can't back out. Should you actually go to the cemetery, or hide elsewhere and pretend you did? You might run into the ghost of a headless soldier among the gravestones, or see Jamie and Meg show up draped in a white sheet hoping to convince you they're a ghost. Their attempt is pitiful, but that doesn't mean you're safe in the cemetery. If you explore away from the cemetery you'll be mysteriously transported to Antigua of the distant past, before European colonists came. The Arawak Indians populated the island at the time, and you're welcome to live among them and learn their peaceful ways. You may not even want to return home at the first opportunity, but time travel is complicated, and lingering in the past has unforeseen consequences.
Choose to fake your trip to the haunted cemetery, relaxing instead on the beach under the stars, and you won't avoid the ghost of English Harbor. He was a British soldier decapitated centuries ago by Carib Indians. His head wasn't buried with his body, and he demands you steal his skull from a nearby museum and return it so he can rest in peace. The ghost will tolerate nothing but rote compliance, but you're not sure how to pull off this heist. Should you consult Jamie and Meg, or go it solo? Removing the skull without being caught is difficult, but even if that part goes according to plan you aren't guaranteed to be spared the ghost's wrath. Can you return his skull in exactly the manner he prescribed before you and your parents sail away to another Caribbean isle? Angering the ghost is always bad, but you can satisfy him if you're diligent and lucky.
Haunted Harbor isn't a bad book if you find one of the in-depth storylines that don't end prematurely. The most complete adventure is with the Arawak Indians, where you'll find the closest thing in this book to an emotional connection. Out of respect for that narrative branch, I would almost round my one-and-a-half-star rating up instead of down. Bill Schmidt, illustrator of all eighteen original Choose Your Own Nightmare books, does good work in these pages, particularly the night scenes. Haunted Harbor wasn't everything I expected, but it's worth future rereads.
October 28, 2018
What adventures could you scare up on the island of Antigua under normal circumstances? How about if you're anchored there at English Harbor, which locals inform you has a cemetery haunted by a malevolent ghost? You're vacationing on the Caribbean Sea with your parents, accompanied by your best friends Jamie and Meg, but you relish the challenge of proving ghosts don't exist. Goaded by Jamie and Meg, you agree to sneak off your parents' boat one night and visit the cemetery alone. You refuse to be intimidated by the scary stories of imaginative islanders.
As darkness arrives your confidence wanes, but you can't back out. Should you actually go to the cemetery, or hide elsewhere and pretend you did? You might run into the ghost of a headless pirate among the gravestones, or see Jamie and Meg show up draped in a white sheet hoping to convince you they're a ghost. Their attempt is pitiful, but that doesn't mean you're safe in the cemetery. If you explore away from the cemetery you'll be mysteriously transported to Antigua of the distant past, before European colonists came. The Arawak Indians populated the island at the time, and you're welcome to live among them and learn their peaceful ways. You may not even want to return home at the first opportunity, but time travel is complicated, and lingering in the past has unforeseen consequences.
Choose to fake your trip to the haunted cemetery, relaxing instead on the beach under the stars, and you won't avoid the ghost of English Harbor. He was a pirate captain decapitated centuries ago by Carib Indians. His head wasn't buried with his body, and he demands you steal his skull from a nearby museum and return it so he can rest in peace. The ghost will tolerate nothing but rote compliance, but you're not sure how to pull off this heist. Should you consult Jamie and Meg, or go it solo? Removing the skull without being caught is difficult, but even if that part goes according to plan you aren't guaranteed to be spared the ghost's wrath. Can you return his skull in exactly the manner he prescribed before you and your parents sail away to another Caribbean isle? Angering the ghost is always bad, but you can satisfy him if you're diligent and lucky.
Ghost Island isn't a bad book if you find one of the in-depth storylines that don't end prematurely. The most complete adventure is with the Arawak Indians, where you'll find the closest thing in this book to an emotional connection. Out of respect for that narrative branch, I would almost round my one-and-a-half-star rating up instead of down. Keith Newton paints some gorgeous backgrounds in these pages, but his illustrations aren't as atmospheric as Bill Schmidt's in the original version of this book, Haunted Harbor. Ghost Island wasn't everything I expected, but it's worth future rereads.
As darkness arrives your confidence wanes, but you can't back out. Should you actually go to the cemetery, or hide elsewhere and pretend you did? You might run into the ghost of a headless pirate among the gravestones, or see Jamie and Meg show up draped in a white sheet hoping to convince you they're a ghost. Their attempt is pitiful, but that doesn't mean you're safe in the cemetery. If you explore away from the cemetery you'll be mysteriously transported to Antigua of the distant past, before European colonists came. The Arawak Indians populated the island at the time, and you're welcome to live among them and learn their peaceful ways. You may not even want to return home at the first opportunity, but time travel is complicated, and lingering in the past has unforeseen consequences.
Choose to fake your trip to the haunted cemetery, relaxing instead on the beach under the stars, and you won't avoid the ghost of English Harbor. He was a pirate captain decapitated centuries ago by Carib Indians. His head wasn't buried with his body, and he demands you steal his skull from a nearby museum and return it so he can rest in peace. The ghost will tolerate nothing but rote compliance, but you're not sure how to pull off this heist. Should you consult Jamie and Meg, or go it solo? Removing the skull without being caught is difficult, but even if that part goes according to plan you aren't guaranteed to be spared the ghost's wrath. Can you return his skull in exactly the manner he prescribed before you and your parents sail away to another Caribbean isle? Angering the ghost is always bad, but you can satisfy him if you're diligent and lucky.
Ghost Island isn't a bad book if you find one of the in-depth storylines that don't end prematurely. The most complete adventure is with the Arawak Indians, where you'll find the closest thing in this book to an emotional connection. Out of respect for that narrative branch, I would almost round my one-and-a-half-star rating up instead of down. Keith Newton paints some gorgeous backgrounds in these pages, but his illustrations aren't as atmospheric as Bill Schmidt's in the original version of this book, Haunted Harbor. Ghost Island wasn't everything I expected, but it's worth future rereads.
April 30, 2025
I got wrecked by a ghost who put me in a coma by throwing me 20 feet in the air, waking up in a hospital days later, with my parents mocking my ambulatory condition and accusing me of brain damage.
I tried one more run. I travelled through a time tunnel taking me to the past hundreds of years to Antigua. After 6 months, the stars were right for me to travel back. I bravely decided to stay, having learned much about village. I became a self avowed tribal socialist and was learning self-sufficiency and making friends with everybody. Seeing a ship in the distance, I was just in time for the arrival of
"Christopher Columbus! You can't believe it! You're going to see one of the great moments of history! Wait till you get home and tell everyone!
But you never have the chance. Christopher Columbus forces you and the Arowaks to become his slaves. ...Explorers were often very cruel...you never thought you would be one of those people!
slow clap
I tried one more run. I travelled through a time tunnel taking me to the past hundreds of years to Antigua. After 6 months, the stars were right for me to travel back. I bravely decided to stay, having learned much about village. I became a self avowed tribal socialist and was learning self-sufficiency and making friends with everybody. Seeing a ship in the distance, I was just in time for the arrival of
"Christopher Columbus! You can't believe it! You're going to see one of the great moments of history! Wait till you get home and tell everyone!
But you never have the chance. Christopher Columbus forces you and the Arowaks to become his slaves. ...Explorers were often very cruel...you never thought you would be one of those people!
slow clap
May 8, 2019
I remember loving the choose your own adventure books as a kid so when I saw they had some at the library I snagged it. Bug wasn't sure about it, I had to keep reminding her to pick something different each time we read it or the story would be the same.
Parts of the story didn't really line up. At the beginning they are sleeping on the island, but then he is sneaking off the boat, definitely something you would think would get caught during proofs.
Parts of the story didn't really line up. At the beginning they are sleeping on the island, but then he is sneaking off the boat, definitely something you would think would get caught during proofs.
September 23, 2019
While not my favorite in the CYOA series, this younger version is a lot of fun. Ages 8 to 10 (or even ages 6 and 7 possibly with a little help could read) can read and enjoy the fun a CYOA allows. While difficult to read to a group, a one-on-one read with a child could be a blast (especially if they are like me: I pick option 1, then reread with one change and continue until that's exhausted then go with option 2 and repeat above process!)
December 15, 2019
You get better results by chickening out than by being venturesome, and by taking an easy path rather sticking to your promises. Not my favorite formula for a CYOA book. Not to mention the digressing Cave of Time story thread that seems totally unrelated to the Haunted Harbor.
May 9, 2021
This may be the first time I’ve given a low rating to a Childrens book, but my 7 year old didn’t really love this one. The idea of a choose your own adventure book is extremely cool but some of the storylines you can end up with are kind of strange and end rather abruptly.
April 28, 2018
Solid and fun
Read
March 30, 2021Mom and I read this together a few nights, trying different choices each time.
June 28, 2021
This is such a great book. It's a reader from my daughter's school and she loves it so much.
October 20, 2021
Not a bad book, but not a wholly good one.
March 21, 2022
My six year old son “hates” this book mainly because he isn’t used to scary or unhappy endings. He wants to let the next reader know that he does “NOT recommend it if you like happy endings.” 😬
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2023
And we got lost! Such a fun read with my 9 year old. She loved “unlocking” new endings.
July 23, 2025
It’s the best book I ever read because you can make your own story
May 16, 2013
Our oldest has brought home various You Choose books from her elementary school library. And now at our local library we've discovered some of the books from the original Choose Your Own Adventure series that I read when I was a child. I remember loving books like this in my childhood and I am excited that our girls are discovering them as well.
This is a CYOA book for young readers and it takes the reader to an island that is considered to be haunted. The story is suspenseful in a few places, but not scary. Most of the endings are at least somewhat satisfying, with a few pleasant surprises along the way. Some of the narrative gets quite silly in places and the illustrations are very cartoonish.
But overall, it's a fun story with colorful illustrations and we enjoyed reading it together, taking turns following different paths.
This is a CYOA book for young readers and it takes the reader to an island that is considered to be haunted. The story is suspenseful in a few places, but not scary. Most of the endings are at least somewhat satisfying, with a few pleasant surprises along the way. Some of the narrative gets quite silly in places and the illustrations are very cartoonish.
But overall, it's a fun story with colorful illustrations and we enjoyed reading it together, taking turns following different paths.
February 20, 2009
I like this book. I like picking my adventures. The first one was going to the cemetery. I am brave. Jamie and Meg dared me to go to the cemetery. I went to the cemetery and I saw my two best friends they were trying to scare me with my moms sheets. it did not work because i was not scared of no ghosts. There was a real ghost with no head and I ran away. I am going to read another adventure.
The second adventure I did not go to the cemetery. I hid on the beach then the ghost of english harbor saw me and he was dead. He was the English Harbor ghost and wanted me to bring back his skull so his body can rest. I went to the museum to steal it but the police caught me. There was a terrible storm so I could not go back to see him.
The third adventure I told the ghost that I could not steal his skull because I was a kid. He picked me up with his cold hands and threw me. I woke up in the hospital with a broke arm and leg. My mom and dad thought I was crazy.
The second adventure I did not go to the cemetery. I hid on the beach then the ghost of english harbor saw me and he was dead. He was the English Harbor ghost and wanted me to bring back his skull so his body can rest. I went to the museum to steal it but the police caught me. There was a terrible storm so I could not go back to see him.
The third adventure I told the ghost that I could not steal his skull because I was a kid. He picked me up with his cold hands and threw me. I woke up in the hospital with a broke arm and leg. My mom and dad thought I was crazy.
April 22, 2009
I like that book because I like how the boy was scared but it was all a dream and I get like that to
April 2, 2009
I LOVE that they are finally making Choose Your Own Adventure books again and I am LOVING the set for younger readers. These work great for older grade school visits. Yippee!
July 23, 2013
loved it! cute for kiddos to explore!
August 15, 2013
i wana fucking read it u bitch
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews