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Pleasing the Ghost
Ever since his dad died, Dennis has been seeing ghosts. Lots of them. There's been a veritable ghost parade through his room. Often they are ghosts he knows, and most are friendly, so Dennis doesn't mind-but it would be nice if someone else could see them, or at least believe that he sees them. But now a new ghost has arrived, and he's as eccentric in the afterlife as he was in real life. It's his uncle Arvie, and he seems to want something, but he talks in puzzles. He keeps talking about "boodled trampolink." Dennis would love to help him "dunder" it, if only he knew what that meant. Arvie will be a hard ghost to have around.
96 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1996
24 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Creech
70 books3,286 followersI was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with my noisy and rowdy family: my parents (Ann and Arvel), my sister (Sandy), and my three brothers (Dennis, Doug and Tom).
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books—transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults (published as Sharon Rigg): The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
© Sharon Creech
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books—transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults (published as Sharon Rigg): The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
© Sharon Creech
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
September 17, 2016
Dennis has been seeing ghosts ever since his dad died. One night, a familiar ghost glides through his bedroom window -- the ghost of his eccentric Uncle Arvie.
Poor Uncle Arvie had a stroke when he was alive, so he can never quite manage to articulate his thoughts.
Uncle Arvie had had a stroke, and words were twisted in his brain. He knew what he wanted to say, but the words that came out of his mouth were not the words he chose. Sometimes they weren't even words at all -- or at least not words that most people knew -- like riggle and fraggle.
Uncle Arvie wants Dennis's help with three favors, which he refers to as three pleases, hence the title Pleasing the Ghost.
Uncle Arvie's befuddling dialogue is amusing, but it can also be a bit tiresome:
Uncle Arvie put his hands to his eyes and formed two circles, as if he were looking through binoculars. "Fraggle pin Heartfoot."
"Heartfoot -- that's your wife, right? Aunt Julia? You want me to see her?"
"Yin!" He held his hands out, palms up, and pushed them at me.
"What? You want me to show her something?"
"Yin, yin, yin! Fraggle pin Heartfoot a wig pasta --"
Though it's a chapter book, the writing is sometimes surprisingly lyrical:
Another [ghost] arrived last week. It came on the wind, like the others. It's not an ordinary wind that brings these ghosts -- it's a bare whisper of wind that tickles the curtains. No one feels or hears this wind except me and my dog, Bo.
"Riggle!" said the ghost, brushing himself off and rushing to hug me. His hug felt like tickling cobwebs.
One of the subplots in Pleasing the Ghost has to do with Dennis hoping the ghost of his deceased father will float through his bedroom window. Unfortunately, the author neglected to capitalize on this heartwarming element of the story. Otherwise it's a charming book, both funny and sweet.
Poor Uncle Arvie had a stroke when he was alive, so he can never quite manage to articulate his thoughts.
Uncle Arvie had had a stroke, and words were twisted in his brain. He knew what he wanted to say, but the words that came out of his mouth were not the words he chose. Sometimes they weren't even words at all -- or at least not words that most people knew -- like riggle and fraggle.
Uncle Arvie wants Dennis's help with three favors, which he refers to as three pleases, hence the title Pleasing the Ghost.
Uncle Arvie's befuddling dialogue is amusing, but it can also be a bit tiresome:
Uncle Arvie put his hands to his eyes and formed two circles, as if he were looking through binoculars. "Fraggle pin Heartfoot."
"Heartfoot -- that's your wife, right? Aunt Julia? You want me to see her?"
"Yin!" He held his hands out, palms up, and pushed them at me.
"What? You want me to show her something?"
"Yin, yin, yin! Fraggle pin Heartfoot a wig pasta --"
Though it's a chapter book, the writing is sometimes surprisingly lyrical:
Another [ghost] arrived last week. It came on the wind, like the others. It's not an ordinary wind that brings these ghosts -- it's a bare whisper of wind that tickles the curtains. No one feels or hears this wind except me and my dog, Bo.
"Riggle!" said the ghost, brushing himself off and rushing to hug me. His hug felt like tickling cobwebs.
One of the subplots in Pleasing the Ghost has to do with Dennis hoping the ghost of his deceased father will float through his bedroom window. Unfortunately, the author neglected to capitalize on this heartwarming element of the story. Otherwise it's a charming book, both funny and sweet.
July 19, 2018
2.5 🌟🌟
A cute story but not really suitable for the targeted age group.
A cute story but not really suitable for the targeted age group.
December 22, 2021
This book is so cute. It’s a short read, an early chapter book, a bit harder than Magic Treehouse. But moving enough for an older kid (or adult, obviously). This is the story of Dennis, who lost his father and uncle recently. He starts seeing ghosts and goes on a journey to discover why he can see them and no one else can. When his uncle’s ghost visits, Dennis is led to some surprises his uncle left for his aunt before he died. She is touched by his intuitive ability to help her. And Dennis must face a bully along the way. He’s a good example of being a good friend even when someone is being unkind. Just an all around good story!
August 12, 2007
an uncle with unfinished business returns to "haunt" his nephew. It's funny and not dark at all, and may encourage a conversation about death.
June 4, 2019
I pulled this off of my daughter's and fellow Creech fan's bookshelf. Today at my granddaughter's authors' picnic, where she read her first grade persuasive writing to me, we had time to read the first three chapters of this while she finished her lunch. Oh, how she giggled at the way Uncle Arvie talked! She took the book home with her to finish later, and it was an altogether beautiful hour of reading.
February 3, 2022
I had kind of hoped that Uncle Arvie's speech would be code that Dennis breaks and that everything would be clear by the end of the story. It didn't happen, and that was a disappointment for me - it would have been nice to suddenly have a light turn on and be like "oh that's what he's talking about..." and then go back through the book and see all the things he's been saying that didn't make sense originally but now make sense. At the end of the book, there are still words you don't understand and that Dennis never figured out - that's part of why I rated it three stars.
The plot is very simple, and the book is very short. It's about third to fifth grade level so if you're like me and you're not even in grade school anymore, it's hard to get into and enjoy. On the other hand, there are two or three parts that are funny, and it's not boring - it simply doesn't have much action or a twist at the end.
It had to move fast because it's a short book, but the characters weren't as developed as they could have been, imo, and a couple things that could have been expanded on or made more interesting were cut a bit short, which leaves the reader hanging. I wasn't too sure what his purpose was for being there - I knew he was trying to keep the aunt from marrying Colin (tho the book doesn't portray Colin as bad, just kind of boring, so it was hard to root against him when there wasn't a set antagonist) and I understood that he wanted to give his wife the things he hadn't been able to give her when he was alive, but it doesn't seem like intricate-enough plot to build a book around. That's just personal opinion, not necessarily bad.
There's not much to this book and if you're going into it expected Walk Two Moons, you will be so disappointed. It has a flavor of Richard Peck's short stories (The Ghost Belonged to Me, A Season of Gifts, Here Lies the Librarian) and what it lacks in plot it makes up for in speed and simplicity, and it's enjoyable for the age range it's written for. So that, to me, is success! If the target audience is satisfied, then the book is well-done.
The plot is very simple, and the book is very short. It's about third to fifth grade level so if you're like me and you're not even in grade school anymore, it's hard to get into and enjoy. On the other hand, there are two or three parts that are funny, and it's not boring - it simply doesn't have much action or a twist at the end.
It had to move fast because it's a short book, but the characters weren't as developed as they could have been, imo, and a couple things that could have been expanded on or made more interesting were cut a bit short, which leaves the reader hanging. I wasn't too sure what his purpose was for being there - I knew he was trying to keep the aunt from marrying Colin (tho the book doesn't portray Colin as bad, just kind of boring, so it was hard to root against him when there wasn't a set antagonist) and I understood that he wanted to give his wife the things he hadn't been able to give her when he was alive, but it doesn't seem like intricate-enough plot to build a book around. That's just personal opinion, not necessarily bad.
There's not much to this book and if you're going into it expected Walk Two Moons, you will be so disappointed. It has a flavor of Richard Peck's short stories (The Ghost Belonged to Me, A Season of Gifts, Here Lies the Librarian) and what it lacks in plot it makes up for in speed and simplicity, and it's enjoyable for the age range it's written for. So that, to me, is success! If the target audience is satisfied, then the book is well-done.
October 24, 2022
I read this book to my boys when they were 11 and 7 years old and it became a favorite. I still read it every year during Halloween even though my children are long since grown up.
Dennis is a 9 year old boy who is visited by the ghosts of family, friends and pets who have passed on. When the ghost of Dennis’s Uncle Arvie visits, he has three things he asks Dennis to do for him (three pleases). These requests are complicated by the fact that Uncle Arvie suffered a stroke and his speech is very difficult to understand.
This is just the sweetest story of love and loss. I’ve also read it to one of my granddaughters. It never fails to make me smile.
Dennis is a 9 year old boy who is visited by the ghosts of family, friends and pets who have passed on. When the ghost of Dennis’s Uncle Arvie visits, he has three things he asks Dennis to do for him (three pleases). These requests are complicated by the fact that Uncle Arvie suffered a stroke and his speech is very difficult to understand.
This is just the sweetest story of love and loss. I’ve also read it to one of my granddaughters. It never fails to make me smile.
October 2, 2022
A cute little story. At first I didn't like the way the story made light of a stroke victim's speech problems, but after reading the whole thing, I think it could be a way to make it more approachable for young children.
October 22, 2022
Dennis has been seeing ghosts since his dad died. He is really hoping he will see his dad as a ghost. Instead he sees Uncle Arvie who had a stroke and talks in strange words that Dennis works hard to figure out. A cute story.
October 22, 2017
Cute little story, but I found it a bit confusing for the targeted age group.
August 24, 2022
Found this book from my childhood in my basement today, pretty cute
September 12, 2024
I’m really glad this story exists. I wish it was better known. I wish it was marketed to adults as well as children.
Dennis can see ghosts. Sometimes they just float into his bedroom window, but they’re never the one ghost he wants to see—his dad. One night, his uncle Arvie wafts into the room, and this is where a story dealing with a difficult subject does a brilliant job bringing humor into a hard reality. Uncle Arvie died from the decline following a stroke. The stroke appears to have affected the part of his brain dealing with speech, because he substitutes words and uses made up jibberish to get his point across.
The humor comes in that he calls a character he doesn’t like a “beanie booger” and his brother a “pepperoni.” Because he uses the same incorrect words every time, Dennis and the reader are able to understand his silly speech.
Uncle Arvie asks Dennis to help him with “Three pleases,” or three requests, that seem centered around his widow, Dennis’ aunt. While carrying out the Three Pleases, Dennis gets into some humorous scrapes when he walks in on his aunt receiving a gentleman caller and the ghost of Uncle Arvie gets jealous. Uncle Arvy first complicates and then ultimately helps with a bully situation, and he is able to halfway answer why Dennis’ dad hasn’t visited yet.
I so appreciate this book—not just for its entertainment or the theme of addressing a child’s grief, but it’s incorporation of a little known and horrifying reality I have seen families experience in my time as a neuro nurse. Humor can be a great coping strategy. Dark humor is sometimes an absolute necessity. This story is entertaining and whimsical and so, so touching with Uncle Arvie’s attempts to reach his wife beyond the grave. It also produced a lot of giggles in me, and it’s exactly the sort of humor an elementary aged child would enjoy, though the reading level is probably best suited to older grades like 3rd-7th, I think younger grades would enjoy it too.
Dennis can see ghosts. Sometimes they just float into his bedroom window, but they’re never the one ghost he wants to see—his dad. One night, his uncle Arvie wafts into the room, and this is where a story dealing with a difficult subject does a brilliant job bringing humor into a hard reality. Uncle Arvie died from the decline following a stroke. The stroke appears to have affected the part of his brain dealing with speech, because he substitutes words and uses made up jibberish to get his point across.
The humor comes in that he calls a character he doesn’t like a “beanie booger” and his brother a “pepperoni.” Because he uses the same incorrect words every time, Dennis and the reader are able to understand his silly speech.
Uncle Arvie asks Dennis to help him with “Three pleases,” or three requests, that seem centered around his widow, Dennis’ aunt. While carrying out the Three Pleases, Dennis gets into some humorous scrapes when he walks in on his aunt receiving a gentleman caller and the ghost of Uncle Arvie gets jealous. Uncle Arvy first complicates and then ultimately helps with a bully situation, and he is able to halfway answer why Dennis’ dad hasn’t visited yet.
I so appreciate this book—not just for its entertainment or the theme of addressing a child’s grief, but it’s incorporation of a little known and horrifying reality I have seen families experience in my time as a neuro nurse. Humor can be a great coping strategy. Dark humor is sometimes an absolute necessity. This story is entertaining and whimsical and so, so touching with Uncle Arvie’s attempts to reach his wife beyond the grave. It also produced a lot of giggles in me, and it’s exactly the sort of humor an elementary aged child would enjoy, though the reading level is probably best suited to older grades like 3rd-7th, I think younger grades would enjoy it too.
December 28, 2020
What a funny yet heartwarming story about love and loss. After Dennis's father passes away, he is visited by many ghosts who appear in his room. He's mostly afraid, but they are all friendly. He wants his father to appear because he misses him. Dennis does get a visit from a family member: Uncle Arvie, his father's brother. Uncle Arvie has tasked Dennis with "three pleases" (favors). The language Uncle Arvie uses is that which he spoke after having a stroke. Dennis must not only decipher the language but also complete the tasks and still deal with Billy the Bully, who's more like Dennis than he knows. Eventually, Dennis's mission brings joy to a loved one and helps him cope with his own loss.
June 16, 2018
A very good book. This is a kid's book - probably for grade three and up. This book is funny and heartwarming. There are 89 pages in the book, in 14 chapters. I'd say this is for kids who are just starting into chapter books.
For me the best part of the book was the warm emotions between the main character, his uncle, his aunt, his mother, and his father. The second-best part of the book was the fond portrayal of a person who has had a stroke and cannot speak normally - - uses nonsense words or the wrong words. Also one of the characters who is at conflict with the main character has an interesting problem and is presented sympathetically.
For me the best part of the book was the warm emotions between the main character, his uncle, his aunt, his mother, and his father. The second-best part of the book was the fond portrayal of a person who has had a stroke and cannot speak normally - - uses nonsense words or the wrong words. Also one of the characters who is at conflict with the main character has an interesting problem and is presented sympathetically.
February 10, 2019
i enjoy Sharon Creech as a intermediate student author. Her stories deal with loss and tragedy in a way that intermediate students can relate. This is a very short and sweet book. The main character has recently lost his father. Every night he wishes to see his father's ghost, but only other ghosts come. Until one night his Uncle's ghost comes with a request for help.
This is a very moving story that helps children explore their feelings of loss and longing while dealing with bullies and grief.
This is a very moving story that helps children explore their feelings of loss and longing while dealing with bullies and grief.
April 2, 2018
Ruby read this in 3rd grade and told me we had to read it. She said, “It doesn’t sound like it would be a good book but it is!” How could I turn down a recommendation like that?
It’s a quick read and a sweet story, and I can see exactly why it’s a good book for third graders to read and discuss.
It’s a quick read and a sweet story, and I can see exactly why it’s a good book for third graders to read and discuss.
May 16, 2018
This is The Book, for me. It was the book that got me into reading, the first book I can remember reading and enjoying, the book that made me want to read other books simply because I had never before known that books could make me have emotions quite like this.
I was seven. I haven't stopped reading since. Thanks, Ms. Creech.
I was seven. I haven't stopped reading since. Thanks, Ms. Creech.
May 31, 2017
It was funny and mysterious
I chose the book because a wanted a adventure and some mystery and just wanted to laugh at a book . I would recommend this book to 8 and 9 year old kids. Over all I thought it was a good laugh and funny book that they as very interesting.🌟🌟🌟!
I chose the book because a wanted a adventure and some mystery and just wanted to laugh at a book . I would recommend this book to 8 and 9 year old kids. Over all I thought it was a good laugh and funny book that they as very interesting.🌟🌟🌟!
November 15, 2017
This was a delightful little read. It completely took me back to childhood. That stage of life where we wish for things with all our might and anything is possible. Surprisingly this is a story about unconditional love, and how it never really dies.
July 12, 2019
After Dennis's father died, he started seeing ghosts. He wishes his father's ghost will come visit him, but instead his uncle's ghost visits him, and asks Dennis to help him by finding things the uncle wanted to give to his wife. Mildly humorous, very random.
January 31, 2020
I found this book awfully touching and tender. It was a ghost story that brought comfort and peace. This one is not for really young people as the nonsense words offered up by the ghost are difficult to manage but I really enjoyed the story and the joy that came through for nearly every character.
April 7, 2020
I enjoy most books written for middle readers, but I had a hard time following the story because of the made-up language. It just didn't make sense to me..
Hope Irvin Marston, author of EYE ON THE IDITAROD: AISLING'S QUEST
Hope Irvin Marston, author of EYE ON THE IDITAROD: AISLING'S QUEST
September 12, 2020
Disappointing. Sharon Creech wrote Walk Two Moons. One of my all time favorite Newberys. Maybe a second grader might like this? I realize it was written in 1996, but still. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys are heads over this.
September 25, 2020
I think this book is interesting because the plot of this book is awesome. It's was also a wonderful book to read. We can learn so many things in it. The background of this book is incredible, it seems like the real things in our life, even thought it's only appear in the magical world.
June 26, 2024
Read aloud to my daughter since I have loved other Sharon Creech books when I was a kid. This book needed another 20-30 pages to flesh out the ending and loose ends more and make it more satisfying. Some parts were funny and beautiful.
November 1, 2017
I really like the story and the plot line behind it. How uncle Arvie wore his red hat and the weird language he spoke. I also liked his dog Bo.
August 21, 2018
Simple and nice, except reading the gibberish gave me a headache. Maybe children will find it amusingly fun.
October 23, 2018
This book is delightful and funny, but in unexpected ways.
January 28, 2020
I am reading this book for a group of fifth and sisters graders during their second semester of school and I finished the whole thing today. Woops.
August 21, 2020
Charming and delightful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews