What do you think?
Rate this book
Dial-a-Ghost
The Dial-a-Ghost Agency finds good homes for ghosts. And Fulton and Frieda Snodde-Brittle are looking for a few frightening ghosts to "accidentally" scare their young cousin and heir, Oliver, to death. The ladies at the Dial-a-Ghost Agency have the perfect match: the Shriekers, two bloodstained and bickering horrors. But thanks to a mix-up at the agency, the Wilkinsons, a kind family of ghosts, arrive instead. Can they put a stop to the Snodde-Brittles' schemes before it's too late?
195 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1996
49 people are currently reading
1214 people want to read
About the author
Eva Ibbotson
79 books2,358 followersEva Ibbotson (Maria Charlotte Michelle Wiesner) was a novelist specializing in romance and children's fantasy.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler appeared, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, graduating with a diploma in education in 1965. Eva had intended to be a physiologist but was put off by animal testing. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. They have three sons and a daughter.
Eva began writing with the television drama “Linda Came Today” in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, “The Great Ghost Rescue”. Eva has written numerous books including “The Secret Of Platform 13”, “Journey To The River Sea”, “Which Witch?”, “Island Of The Aunts”, and “Dial-A-Ghost”. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for “Journey To The River Sea” and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.
Her books are imaginative and humorous and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite that she disliked thinking about them. She created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.
Some of the books, particularly “Journey To The River Sea”, reflect Eva's love of nature. Eva wrote this book in honour of her husband (who had died before), a naturalist. The book had been in her head for years.
Eva said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of “Platform 9 3/4” in J.K. Rowling's books to Eva's “The Secret Of Platform 13”, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.
Her love of Austria is evident in works such as “The Star Of Kazan” and “A Song For Summer”. These books, set in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for all things natural.
She was born in Vienna, Austria, in 1925. When Hitler appeared, her family moved to England. She attended Bedford College, graduating in 1945; Cambridge University from 1946-47; and the University of Durham, graduating with a diploma in education in 1965. Eva had intended to be a physiologist but was put off by animal testing. Instead, she married and raised a family, returning to school to become a teacher in the 1960s. They have three sons and a daughter.
Eva began writing with the television drama “Linda Came Today” in 1965. Ten years later, she published her first novel, “The Great Ghost Rescue”. Eva has written numerous books including “The Secret Of Platform 13”, “Journey To The River Sea”, “Which Witch?”, “Island Of The Aunts”, and “Dial-A-Ghost”. She won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize for “Journey To The River Sea” and has been a runner up for many of major awards for British children's literature.
Her books are imaginative and humorous and most of them feature magical creatures and places, despite that she disliked thinking about them. She created the characters because she wanted to decrease her readers' fear of such things.
Some of the books, particularly “Journey To The River Sea”, reflect Eva's love of nature. Eva wrote this book in honour of her husband (who had died before), a naturalist. The book had been in her head for years.
Eva said she dislikes "financial greed and a lust for power" and often creates antagonists in her books who have these characteristics. Some have been struck by the similarity of “Platform 9 3/4” in J.K. Rowling's books to Eva's “The Secret Of Platform 13”, which came out three years before the first Harry Potter book.
Her love of Austria is evident in works such as “The Star Of Kazan” and “A Song For Summer”. These books, set in the Austrian countryside, display the author's love for all things natural.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
November 27, 2020
Gave up half way through. What we read was 3 stars. This was nice enough, one of those books that has an under 8 yr old appeal, not very interesting for adults, this was okay, mildly funny and mildly engaging.
Read
September 25, 2018This is a fun, and slightly spooky story or at least a story that features spooks though not all are very spooky—instead, most are rather likeable ghosts. In this one, we start by meeting a rather likeable set of ghosts, the Wilkinsons, the whole family having become ghosts in the Second World War when a bomb fell on their house. For a time, they continued to live in their old home but when finally, they had to leave, they end up having to live in a rather distasteful (to them) space, though in the process they add a new member to their family, a young girl from a much older time, who makes place for herself in their hearts in no time. On the other side, we have a little boy, Oliver Smith who has been living a fairly happy (unlike usual stories) life in an orphanage. But he discovers that he is the heir to Helton Hall, the family home of the Snodde-Brittles. The person next in line, his cousin Fulton Snodde-Brittle and his sister Frieda however want Helton Hall for themselves, and come up with a dastardly plan to get the house of Oliver. In this, the Dial-a-Ghost agency, an agency set up by two kind-hearted young ladies to find suitable homes for ghosts who are without one, becomes involved, and so indeed do the Wilkinsons and other ghosts, to make up a fun, entertaining story.
I really loved this one, it was such fun. I had ‘guessed’ more or less what was going to happen at the beginning of the story but I still enjoyed seeing how everything played out, and there were a few elements or plot developments that were surprising as well. One plot thread remained unresolved, but I think the war background to that part of it or the author’s own story may have been the reason for it being that way. I would have preferred if it was resolved, though. This is a story full of ghosts and spooks with a little blood and gore, but not too much, so the overall effect remains pleasant rather than scary or off-putting. This would be a great read for Halloween if you want something with the atmosphere but one that is light-hearted, and pleasant, rather than scary. Four and a half stars. (Incidentally, this is the second book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed the first as well which was Not Just a Witch.)
I really loved this one, it was such fun. I had ‘guessed’ more or less what was going to happen at the beginning of the story but I still enjoyed seeing how everything played out, and there were a few elements or plot developments that were surprising as well. One plot thread remained unresolved, but I think the war background to that part of it or the author’s own story may have been the reason for it being that way. I would have preferred if it was resolved, though. This is a story full of ghosts and spooks with a little blood and gore, but not too much, so the overall effect remains pleasant rather than scary or off-putting. This would be a great read for Halloween if you want something with the atmosphere but one that is light-hearted, and pleasant, rather than scary. Four and a half stars. (Incidentally, this is the second book I’ve read by this author and I enjoyed the first as well which was Not Just a Witch.)
December 31, 2019
This was my October bedtime reading. Super cute and sweet and delightful as Eva Ibbotson always is. The only minus was that I guessed a big plot twist very early on. I don't think the target audience would see it coming, though. So this was really enjoyable, but sadly I just wasn't surprised by any of the directions it took.
January 14, 2012
I was reading an interview with Eva Ibbotson in which she explained why she liked to write about ghosts and other gruesome or magical creatures. Because she herself was scared by the idea of the supernatural, she wanted to demystify those fears for children. Thus, in her novels, ghosts may be bad -- but only in the bad or unkind way that humans are. (Rest assured there is no TRUE evil, but just lots of greed and selfishness.)
The idea behind this novel is that there is an agency which employs ghosts and sends them out to human clients. A greedy uncle wants to hire some frightening, miserable ghosts to scare his young ward -- but his plan backfires, and instead, a kind and homely family of ghosts come to keep the young boy company. There are various plot complications, but the reader can be assured that nasty people (and ghosts!) will receive their just desserts, while nice orphan boys will triumph in the end. This could all get a bit treacly, but Ibbotson's humour always cuts the sugar.
The idea behind this novel is that there is an agency which employs ghosts and sends them out to human clients. A greedy uncle wants to hire some frightening, miserable ghosts to scare his young ward -- but his plan backfires, and instead, a kind and homely family of ghosts come to keep the young boy company. There are various plot complications, but the reader can be assured that nasty people (and ghosts!) will receive their just desserts, while nice orphan boys will triumph in the end. This could all get a bit treacly, but Ibbotson's humour always cuts the sugar.
April 14, 2019
So I just finished "Dial a ghost" by Eva Ibbotson.
Rating: 4.2/5 🌟
The story basically follows two side i-e Oliver & Wilkinsons.
So wilkinson is a family of ghosts who died during world war two. So for the first few days they stayed at their own house but then they had to leave so they found a place to stay but they did not liked it. They also met a young girl who didn't remembered anything so Mr. Wilkinson made her his daughter.
On the other side we have Oliver Smith who was living a very happy life in an orphanage. But then he discovered that he is the heir to the Helton hall, the family house of snodde-brittles. .
The next person in line for this heir was Fulton and his sister Frieda, who were Olivers cousins. And they basically want to get rid of Oliver and have the Helton hall to themselves.
There is this agency called Dial-a-ghost, who find houses for ghosts who have nowhere to live. .
It is a story full of spooks and ghost with a little bit of blood and gore in it. .
The story was a little slow paced at the start but then it got interesting
Rating: 4.2/5 🌟
The story basically follows two side i-e Oliver & Wilkinsons.
So wilkinson is a family of ghosts who died during world war two. So for the first few days they stayed at their own house but then they had to leave so they found a place to stay but they did not liked it. They also met a young girl who didn't remembered anything so Mr. Wilkinson made her his daughter.
On the other side we have Oliver Smith who was living a very happy life in an orphanage. But then he discovered that he is the heir to the Helton hall, the family house of snodde-brittles. .
The next person in line for this heir was Fulton and his sister Frieda, who were Olivers cousins. And they basically want to get rid of Oliver and have the Helton hall to themselves.
There is this agency called Dial-a-ghost, who find houses for ghosts who have nowhere to live. .
It is a story full of spooks and ghost with a little bit of blood and gore in it. .
The story was a little slow paced at the start but then it got interesting
October 19, 2020
Sono tanto affezionato a questo libro per bambini. Mi fu prestato e poi regalato da un mio amico alle elementari, e da piccolo l'ho letto così tante volte da impararlo quasi a memoria. È stata la prima storia di fantasmi che io abbia mai letto e mi ha fatto appassionare a queste figure paranormali.
Ricordavo la maggior parte dei dettagli della storia, ormai è impressa nella mia mente, ma soprattutto nel mio cuore, e la amo ancora adesso.
È una storia che parla di solitudine, ma anche di famiglia e amicizia, di amore per gli animali, di parenti cattivi e di un piccolo orfano triste e solo che riceve in eredità un enorme castello, di cui però non sa cosa farsene, se non ha degli amici con sé. Per fortuna troverà, per sbaglio, (sta a voi capire perché) una tenera famiglia di fantasmi che gli faranno compagnia, mentre qualcuno complotta alle sue spalle...
Amo tutti i personaggi e non mi ero accorto che mi fossero mancati così tanto in questi anni. Appena chiuso il libro mi sono sentito vuoto, vorrei poter leggere ancora di loro, dell'amicizia tra il piccolo Oliver e Addie, della strampalata nonnina, della cara zia Maud e il frenetico zio Henry, dell'irrequieto Eric o dei terribili Striduli.
Ma so per certo che se vorrò leggere ancora di loro mi basterà immergermi di nuovo tra le pagine di questa fantastica storia, di cui sarebbe bellissimo vedere una trasposizione cinematografica, magari prodotta dalla Laika Production perché in stile stop motion avrebbe la giusta atmosfera che merita.
E grazie ad Eva Ibbotson per averla scritta, lei che è la vera erede di Roald Dahl.
Se vi piacciono le storie di fantasmi per bambini, o se amate i libri di Roald Dahl, leggete assolutamente Fantasmi da asporto.
Ricordavo la maggior parte dei dettagli della storia, ormai è impressa nella mia mente, ma soprattutto nel mio cuore, e la amo ancora adesso.
È una storia che parla di solitudine, ma anche di famiglia e amicizia, di amore per gli animali, di parenti cattivi e di un piccolo orfano triste e solo che riceve in eredità un enorme castello, di cui però non sa cosa farsene, se non ha degli amici con sé. Per fortuna troverà, per sbaglio, (sta a voi capire perché) una tenera famiglia di fantasmi che gli faranno compagnia, mentre qualcuno complotta alle sue spalle...
Amo tutti i personaggi e non mi ero accorto che mi fossero mancati così tanto in questi anni. Appena chiuso il libro mi sono sentito vuoto, vorrei poter leggere ancora di loro, dell'amicizia tra il piccolo Oliver e Addie, della strampalata nonnina, della cara zia Maud e il frenetico zio Henry, dell'irrequieto Eric o dei terribili Striduli.
Ma so per certo che se vorrò leggere ancora di loro mi basterà immergermi di nuovo tra le pagine di questa fantastica storia, di cui sarebbe bellissimo vedere una trasposizione cinematografica, magari prodotta dalla Laika Production perché in stile stop motion avrebbe la giusta atmosfera che merita.
E grazie ad Eva Ibbotson per averla scritta, lei che è la vera erede di Roald Dahl.
Se vi piacciono le storie di fantasmi per bambini, o se amate i libri di Roald Dahl, leggete assolutamente Fantasmi da asporto.
October 24, 2009
Very fun and delightful, full of humor and good-natured ghostly goings-on! Parts are a bit ghoulish but everything is handled so cheerfully that I wasn't grossed out :-) I loved how everything seemed to be so neatly tied together, with no loose ends. A charming book! I'd probably go with 4 1/2 stars, just because there were no characters that *really* stuck out for me--but I don't think that was a fault of the book, just that I didn't find a new favorite character here. However, I may have found a new favorite ghost story writer :-)
December 31, 2021
سر فرصت ریویو :)
July 14, 2022
تا وسطاش خیلی خوب بود.
مقدمه چینیش عالی بود و یه عالمه انتظار منو برای یه اتفاق خیلی بزرگ و جالب بالا برده بود و بعد یهو هیچی به هیچی.
مقدمه چینیش عالی بود و یه عالمه انتظار منو برای یه اتفاق خیلی بزرگ و جالب بالا برده بود و بعد یهو هیچی به هیچی.
August 15, 2021
Really cute.
September 6, 2014
I'm one of those adults who believe that one is never too old to pick up a children's book and enjoy a good story, an imaginative tale or an old favorite. Dial-A-Ghost was cute, witty and entertaining. There was just enough grossness to keep a young person interested without giving them nightmares. I came away wishing I had the delightful ghost family, the Wilkinsons, hanging out in my home.
"If I'm honest I have to tell you I still read fairytales and I like them best of all." -- Audrey Hepburn
Note: This was a book that I received from a member at
Bookcrossing.com
"If I'm honest I have to tell you I still read fairytales and I like them best of all." -- Audrey Hepburn
Note: This was a book that I received from a member at
Bookcrossing.com
December 25, 2015
Pas nemu buku ini di lapak, nyaris joget-joget-gembira~ (^oo^)
Hantu (lagi!^^) yang membutuhkan tempat tinggal ataupun orang-orang yang mau rumahnya ketempatan hantu bisa menghubungi agen ini!! ^ ^
Dengan semua tokoh-2nya, manusia dan hantu, bacanya kerasa mengalir dan aku lega dengan ending-nya ^_^)
Walau ada hal yang 'mengganjal', yaitu tapi aku ngerasa mungkin ini salah satu cara Ms. Ibbotson untuk mengingatkan bahwa di tengah kebahagiaan, kadang ada satu-dua hal yang memang tidak bisa kita apa-apakan lagi ✺◟( • ω • )◞✺ Tetap berjuang!!
Momen favorit :
Hantu (lagi!^^) yang membutuhkan tempat tinggal ataupun orang-orang yang mau rumahnya ketempatan hantu bisa menghubungi agen ini!! ^ ^
Dengan semua tokoh-2nya, manusia dan hantu, bacanya kerasa mengalir dan aku lega dengan ending-nya ^_^)
Walau ada hal yang 'mengganjal', yaitu tapi aku ngerasa mungkin ini salah satu cara Ms. Ibbotson untuk mengingatkan bahwa di tengah kebahagiaan, kadang ada satu-dua hal yang memang tidak bisa kita apa-apakan lagi ✺◟( • ω • )◞✺ Tetap berjuang!!
Momen favorit :
February 5, 2021
Ini kisah yang penuh hantu, tapi bukan horor karena hantunya sebangsa Casper si hantu baik hati. Alih-alih, ini cerita penghangat jiwa dengan pesan moral: baik-baiklah pada hantu, nanti juga mereka akan baik kepada kita!
Ini karya kedua Eva Ibbotson yang saya baca setelah Penyihir Mencari Istri, yang tentang kontes cari jodoh penyihir. Secara konsep saya lebih suka yang ini, karena pada dasarnya saya doyan cerita tentang hubungan hantu dan manusia. Ibbotson secara kreatif menampilkan dunia dengan (sebagian) orang-orang yang bisa melihat hantu dan toleran kepada mereka. Lantas, ada sebuah biro penempatan hantu yang menawarkan jasa ‘memasangkan’ hantu-hantu tanpa tempat tinggal layak dengan manusia yang menawarkan tempat tinggal untuk mereka. Plot pun bergulir dengan berfokus pada pertemuan seorang bocah laki-laki yang baru mewarisi rumah angker dengan sebuah keluarga hantu…
Ada hal-hal yang saya suka dan kurang suka dari cerita Ibbotson (walau jelas lebih banyak sukanya). Pertama, saya suka gaya deskripsinya yang detail tapi tidak membosankan. Penuturannya kaya humor yang pintar dan menyenangkan, begitu pun dengan dialognya. Lalu, seperti saya sudah singgung, saya suka imajinasinya dalam membangun dunia dan konsep fantasi/supernatural yang tidak banyak diangkat penulis lain. Sungguh menarik melihat cara kerja institusi fiktif seperti biro penempatan hantu dalam konteks buku ini, dan bagaimana berbagai tokohnya memaknai hal tersebut.
Yang saya kurang suka mungkin gaya penokohannya yang terlampau hitam dan putih. Di sini, tokoh-tokoh baik sering terasa terlampau baik, sedangkan yang jahat benar-benar superjahat dan ultralicik ala penjahat di sinetron (lengkap dengan stereotip ‘tampangnya jelek = hatinya juga jelek’). Bukannya saya langsung anti yang model begini, lagipula masih ada tokoh yang cukup menarik/unik (seperti Adopta si hantu cewek pecinta hantu hewan), tapi rasanya akan lebih seru kalau lebih banyak tokoh yang multidimensi. Penyelesaiannya juga kurang elegan, dengan .
Untungnya, seperti Roald Dahl, selera humor dan gaya bertutur Ibbotson cukup kuat untuk membuat saya tetap menikmati bukunya. Satu lagi pesan moralnya yang mengena: manusia jahat itu lebih seram daripada hantu!
Ini karya kedua Eva Ibbotson yang saya baca setelah Penyihir Mencari Istri, yang tentang kontes cari jodoh penyihir. Secara konsep saya lebih suka yang ini, karena pada dasarnya saya doyan cerita tentang hubungan hantu dan manusia. Ibbotson secara kreatif menampilkan dunia dengan (sebagian) orang-orang yang bisa melihat hantu dan toleran kepada mereka. Lantas, ada sebuah biro penempatan hantu yang menawarkan jasa ‘memasangkan’ hantu-hantu tanpa tempat tinggal layak dengan manusia yang menawarkan tempat tinggal untuk mereka. Plot pun bergulir dengan berfokus pada pertemuan seorang bocah laki-laki yang baru mewarisi rumah angker dengan sebuah keluarga hantu…
Ada hal-hal yang saya suka dan kurang suka dari cerita Ibbotson (walau jelas lebih banyak sukanya). Pertama, saya suka gaya deskripsinya yang detail tapi tidak membosankan. Penuturannya kaya humor yang pintar dan menyenangkan, begitu pun dengan dialognya. Lalu, seperti saya sudah singgung, saya suka imajinasinya dalam membangun dunia dan konsep fantasi/supernatural yang tidak banyak diangkat penulis lain. Sungguh menarik melihat cara kerja institusi fiktif seperti biro penempatan hantu dalam konteks buku ini, dan bagaimana berbagai tokohnya memaknai hal tersebut.
Yang saya kurang suka mungkin gaya penokohannya yang terlampau hitam dan putih. Di sini, tokoh-tokoh baik sering terasa terlampau baik, sedangkan yang jahat benar-benar superjahat dan ultralicik ala penjahat di sinetron (lengkap dengan stereotip ‘tampangnya jelek = hatinya juga jelek’). Bukannya saya langsung anti yang model begini, lagipula masih ada tokoh yang cukup menarik/unik (seperti Adopta si hantu cewek pecinta hantu hewan), tapi rasanya akan lebih seru kalau lebih banyak tokoh yang multidimensi. Penyelesaiannya juga kurang elegan, dengan .
Untungnya, seperti Roald Dahl, selera humor dan gaya bertutur Ibbotson cukup kuat untuk membuat saya tetap menikmati bukunya. Satu lagi pesan moralnya yang mengena: manusia jahat itu lebih seram daripada hantu!
December 12, 2020
Dial-a-Ghost is a cute story about the Wilkerson family, who are turned into ghosts when their house is bombed during World War II. It's also about Oliver, a little orphan boy who turns out to be the heir to a fortune (and a creepy house). When his evil cousins contact the Dial-a-Ghost agency, they want to get ghosts to scare Oliver to death... but instead they get a family of sweet ghosts that will defend him with everything they've got. It's cute, and not at all scary. There are also some fairly sharp commentaries about the difference between social classes and the passage of time (bikinis shock the 1940's ghosts) but it's mostly about love, forgiveness, and a finding your family (whoever they are).
July 19, 2008
This was a little bit childish, but, other than that, it was amazing! I loved it! It is such a touching and sweet story! Very descriptive, and really humorous dialogue and writing throughout! I would recommend this to anyone!
January 22, 2019
Very cute! Even though I've never read this book before, it was a blast from the past to read it. I remember loving Ibbotson's "The Secret of Platform 13" when I read it in 3rd grade, so when I saw this, I couldn't wait to read it. I think I have a special, nostalgic attachment to Platform 13, which is why I didn't rate this one as high, but it was still worth reading; it was quick, light, and very much in her style. Would recommend for late elementary to middle school age, but any age can enjoy this, really.
October 13, 2024
This is a cute book that I read for the first time in probably 4th or 5th grade ? My parents saved it and I figured a re-read was in order. Unfortunately, I’m grown now so I don’t love it as much as I remember I did once 🤣
September 21, 2022
" E, desta vez, não caiu bomba do céu..."
Eu não poderia ter começado de forma mais maravilhosa a minha maratona Eva Ibbotson, só quem cresceu com esses livros dessa autora maravilhosa saberá do que eu estou falando. Livros conforto, que são bem vindos para qualquer idade.
Da infância para vida toda!
Eu não poderia ter começado de forma mais maravilhosa a minha maratona Eva Ibbotson, só quem cresceu com esses livros dessa autora maravilhosa saberá do que eu estou falando. Livros conforto, que são bem vindos para qualquer idade.
Da infância para vida toda!
Read
October 13, 2022oh Oliver Snodde-Brittle we’re really in it now
October 6, 2023
Ini pertama kali baca karya Eva Ibbotson.
Gak nyangka ternyata aku cocok dan suka gaya penceritaannya yg kocak.
Untuk buku middle grade, ceritanya ini agak visual banget penggambaran hantu yg buruk rupanya, dna banyak darah2 juga. Tapi juga banyak adegan + dialog kocak yg bikin ngakak.
Ceritanya sendiri awalnya cukup bikin aku bingung karna di awal cerita kalian bakal disuguhkan perkenalan tokoh2 hantunya dulu, baru nanti masuk bab 4 seterusnya masuk ke awal cerita utamanya. Dann ntah kenapa aku gak bisa hapalin smua karakter2nya wkwkkwk cuma hafal Oliver, sepupu oliver yg jahat sama Adopta
Secara kesulurahan ceritanya ini creepynya dapet, heartwarming, seru dan kocak juga. Rekomen buay bacaan ringan kalian yg suka buku middle grade
Gak nyangka ternyata aku cocok dan suka gaya penceritaannya yg kocak.
Untuk buku middle grade, ceritanya ini agak visual banget penggambaran hantu yg buruk rupanya, dna banyak darah2 juga. Tapi juga banyak adegan + dialog kocak yg bikin ngakak.
Ceritanya sendiri awalnya cukup bikin aku bingung karna di awal cerita kalian bakal disuguhkan perkenalan tokoh2 hantunya dulu, baru nanti masuk bab 4 seterusnya masuk ke awal cerita utamanya. Dann ntah kenapa aku gak bisa hapalin smua karakter2nya wkwkkwk cuma hafal Oliver, sepupu oliver yg jahat sama Adopta
Secara kesulurahan ceritanya ini creepynya dapet, heartwarming, seru dan kocak juga. Rekomen buay bacaan ringan kalian yg suka buku middle grade
August 21, 2025
Fun when there was a mix-up with the ghosts. Cool little story.
Read
February 26, 20172.5 stars read as an adult
I didn’t really care for this one. I thought it came down too heavily on the gruesome and disgusting side, and was frequently dismayed by the images the story invoked. Maybe that’s what kids like, but I was hoping for something a little more charming and a lot less repulsive.
And I never understood what the whole thing with Trixie was supposed to be all about. Why was it even a part of the story?
I didn’t really care for this one. I thought it came down too heavily on the gruesome and disgusting side, and was frequently dismayed by the images the story invoked. Maybe that’s what kids like, but I was hoping for something a little more charming and a lot less repulsive.
And I never understood what the whole thing with Trixie was supposed to be all about. Why was it even a part of the story?
June 29, 2010
Oliver Smith is an orphan who lives at a home in London. Oliver is happy at the Home. He has lots of friends and the staff is nice and caring.
However, he is not too happy to learn that he is now the owner of Helton Hall. Oliver would much rather live at the Home than at Helton Hall.
Oliver's cousins Frieda and Fulton Snodde-Brittle are asked to take care of him while Oliver's guardian is away. Oliver is not happy with his new home. He's left alone most of the time, but he figures his cousins are doing their best.
Frieda and Fulton are not happy. Helton Hall was supposed to be theirs, but now some kid they don't even know is owner of the house. Their plan is to somehow get rid of Oliver so they become the owners of Helton Hall. While picking up Oliver from the Home, Fulton saw Dial-a-Ghost agency and he knew exactly how they would get rid of Oliver. He would get horrible, mean, hateful and the most terrible ghosts there was to scare Oliver to death.
Dial-a-Ghost was absolutely wonderful. The story was fun and a bit silly at times, lots of great humor. I love Oliver and the Wilkinson family. I love that the story had a lot to do with ghosts and the paranormal.
This is my first book I've read by Eva Ibbotson, but I was hooked. She is a clever writer and this is a wonderful story she created. The characters were great, especially the ghosts.
However, he is not too happy to learn that he is now the owner of Helton Hall. Oliver would much rather live at the Home than at Helton Hall.
Oliver's cousins Frieda and Fulton Snodde-Brittle are asked to take care of him while Oliver's guardian is away. Oliver is not happy with his new home. He's left alone most of the time, but he figures his cousins are doing their best.
Frieda and Fulton are not happy. Helton Hall was supposed to be theirs, but now some kid they don't even know is owner of the house. Their plan is to somehow get rid of Oliver so they become the owners of Helton Hall. While picking up Oliver from the Home, Fulton saw Dial-a-Ghost agency and he knew exactly how they would get rid of Oliver. He would get horrible, mean, hateful and the most terrible ghosts there was to scare Oliver to death.
Dial-a-Ghost was absolutely wonderful. The story was fun and a bit silly at times, lots of great humor. I love Oliver and the Wilkinson family. I love that the story had a lot to do with ghosts and the paranormal.
This is my first book I've read by Eva Ibbotson, but I was hooked. She is a clever writer and this is a wonderful story she created. The characters were great, especially the ghosts.
June 5, 2016
A tredici anni, Soobie scriveva:
Bah, questo attacco di passato-remotite non ha molto senso... ^__^
Bel libro. I Wilkinson divennero fantasmi durante la Seconda Guerra mondiale. Così vagarono per 50 anni a Londra, dove videro un'agenzia che adottava fantasmi. Loro furono destinati ad un concerto ma per un disguido andarono in un castello...
Bah, questo attacco di passato-remotite non ha molto senso... ^__^
January 12, 2015
penuh harap bakal suka dan seru. Suka sih, tapi ya biasa aja, nggak seru-seru amat. Untuk buku yang macam ditujukan untuk anak kecil (bener kan, ya?), cerita ini gimana gitu soalnya ada beberapa cerita si anak mau membunuh orang (hantu?) lain. Duh kok amarah diajarkan begitu frontal, ya?
June 3, 2020
In keeping with my "Eva Ibbotson nostalgia kick," I reread this. I think the last time I read this book, I was, like, 13 years old and at summer camp of some kind.
I think it was definitely a book 13-year-old me would have liked. It was very Eva Ibbotson-y. The premise is, a young orphan named Oliver is the heir to a creeptastic manor called Helton, the ancestral home of the Snodde-Brittle family. The only other surviving Snodde-Brittles are the malevolent, child-abusing siblings Fulton and Frieda Snodde-Brittle, who are basically like if the Squeers family from Nicholas Nickleby were brother and sister and not a married couple. They run a craptacular boarding school, but would LIKE to be the heirs to Helton, so they go to the "Dial-a-Ghost" agency to adopt some ghosts who will, ideally, drive Oliver insane or kill him or something, though they cover this up by claiming they're going to make Helton some haunted-house tourist attraction.
The ghost agency ladies, Miss Pringle and Mrs. Mannering, have just the ghosts for them: the gross, child-hating Shriekers, a noble couple who suffered some unspecified tragedy that made them weird before they died and are now absolutely devoted to killing kids. Meanwhile, mild-mannered ghost family the Wilkinsons (mom & dad, grandma, boy scout son Eric, and amnesiac adopted daughter 'Adopta' or Addie) are getting sick of living in an underwear store, and are matched by the agency with a nunnery looking for some nice ghosts for their abandoned chapel. Red-green colorblindness intervenes, and the ghosts get mixed up. Shenanigans ensue.
It's a pretty enjoyable read, and Kevin Hawkes's illustrations are great. Eva Ibbotson-y tropes, for fellow fans, include loving descriptions of supernatural creatures who have a very conventional set of standards and manners flipped around to be based on grossness and creepiness, plucky orphans who are unlike their families, people who are secretly noble, and duelling British stereotypes! The negative British stereotype is greedy, hidebound and proper, insistent on hereditary rights, and terrible to children, a la the boarding school tradition. The positive British stereotype is ALSO hidebound and proper, but more in a cheerful, middle-class class way--it was so wild to me that the Wilkinsons are simultaneously keen on living in a properly creepy ghost fashion AND upset about their children being exposed to bras in an underwear store.
Oliver's not my favorite Ibbotson protagonist, as he doesn't seem to have a lot of interests outside the ghosts and has this weird aggressive, possessive streak that comes out at a couple points in the text (the scene where he straight-up tries to murder Fulton was one that made me go, 'holy crap, kid, maybe don't stab this dude with a spear!'). I did enjoy Adopta, though. There's a fun subplot about a ghost-killing agency, and there's a kind of subtle foreshadowing about Frieda's character development at the end that I thought was well-done. Ibbotson also does a really good job with atmosphere in this book--there are some parts that felt genuinely disturbing or creepy to me, sort of in the Roald Dahl-esque tradition of children's literature.
Anyway, would recommend for those who enjoyed Eva Ibbotson's other children's books. Would not recommend for anyone who isn't interested in reading about, like, gobs of raw meat or rotting ghost bodies or whatnot. I tend toward the squeamish myself and winced a few times.
I think it was definitely a book 13-year-old me would have liked. It was very Eva Ibbotson-y. The premise is, a young orphan named Oliver is the heir to a creeptastic manor called Helton, the ancestral home of the Snodde-Brittle family. The only other surviving Snodde-Brittles are the malevolent, child-abusing siblings Fulton and Frieda Snodde-Brittle, who are basically like if the Squeers family from Nicholas Nickleby were brother and sister and not a married couple. They run a craptacular boarding school, but would LIKE to be the heirs to Helton, so they go to the "Dial-a-Ghost" agency to adopt some ghosts who will, ideally, drive Oliver insane or kill him or something, though they cover this up by claiming they're going to make Helton some haunted-house tourist attraction.
The ghost agency ladies, Miss Pringle and Mrs. Mannering, have just the ghosts for them: the gross, child-hating Shriekers, a noble couple who suffered some unspecified tragedy that made them weird before they died and are now absolutely devoted to killing kids. Meanwhile, mild-mannered ghost family the Wilkinsons (mom & dad, grandma, boy scout son Eric, and amnesiac adopted daughter 'Adopta' or Addie) are getting sick of living in an underwear store, and are matched by the agency with a nunnery looking for some nice ghosts for their abandoned chapel. Red-green colorblindness intervenes, and the ghosts get mixed up. Shenanigans ensue.
It's a pretty enjoyable read, and Kevin Hawkes's illustrations are great. Eva Ibbotson-y tropes, for fellow fans, include loving descriptions of supernatural creatures who have a very conventional set of standards and manners flipped around to be based on grossness and creepiness, plucky orphans who are unlike their families, people who are secretly noble, and duelling British stereotypes! The negative British stereotype is greedy, hidebound and proper, insistent on hereditary rights, and terrible to children, a la the boarding school tradition. The positive British stereotype is ALSO hidebound and proper, but more in a cheerful, middle-class class way--it was so wild to me that the Wilkinsons are simultaneously keen on living in a properly creepy ghost fashion AND upset about their children being exposed to bras in an underwear store.
Oliver's not my favorite Ibbotson protagonist, as he doesn't seem to have a lot of interests outside the ghosts and has this weird aggressive, possessive streak that comes out at a couple points in the text (the scene where he straight-up tries to murder Fulton was one that made me go, 'holy crap, kid, maybe don't stab this dude with a spear!'). I did enjoy Adopta, though. There's a fun subplot about a ghost-killing agency, and there's a kind of subtle foreshadowing about Frieda's character development at the end that I thought was well-done. Ibbotson also does a really good job with atmosphere in this book--there are some parts that felt genuinely disturbing or creepy to me, sort of in the Roald Dahl-esque tradition of children's literature.
Anyway, would recommend for those who enjoyed Eva Ibbotson's other children's books. Would not recommend for anyone who isn't interested in reading about, like, gobs of raw meat or rotting ghost bodies or whatnot. I tend toward the squeamish myself and winced a few times.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2019
Простая история.
Есть такие книжки, с историей, но простые. В этом плане Агенство такое же. Вроде бы есть история и даже не одна, но рассказать в итоге не о чем.
Если по порядку, то у нас семья, которая превратилась в фантомы из-за того, что во время второй мировой на их дом попадает бомба. Семья - это мама, папа, бабушка и сын, а еще попугайчик, но его сложно назвать полноценным членом семьи. В доме еще была одна живая душа, но она похоже в фантом не превратилась, но помнить мы о ней будем всю книгу, потому что семья ее будет звать, звать и звать.
Интересный факт, фантомы могут летать, но воспользуется таким видом перемещения наше семейство лишь один раз, чтобы найти потерянную девочку фантом, которую они примут как родную. И не было бы никаких происшествий с этим милым семейством, если бы они оставались жить в своем доме, но им помешали новые жильцы и поэтому семейство решилось на большое путешествие в Лондон, чтобы жить в лавке с нижним жильем.
Когда читала про это думала неужели их собственный дом был еще меньше и неудобнее, чем лавка нижнего белья, где они разместились в тесноте и как попало? Это просто сразу перенесло в реальную жизнь, когда люди не в состоянии поменять свою жизнь и почему-то решившись на какой-то большой шаг не могут оценить, что он был неверный, почему-то смиряются и не идут дальше. Или хотя бы не занимаются разведкой новых возможностей. Ведь им все так же никто не мешает уехать из Лондона, пусть не назад (хотя что тут такого?), но на новое место, где им не надо будет ютиться. И ладно, герои люди подневольные, им приходится следовать за задумкой автора, чтобы встретить двух ведьм, которые найдут для них дом, но люди, люди-то!
В конечном итоге наше семейство переезжает в большой замок, правда происходит это по ошибке, потому что достаться они должны были монашкам, их овечкам, ягнятам и пчелам. А достались они маленькому мальчику сироте, которому достался замок и во всех отношениях неприятные родственники, жаждущие этот замок с землями наследством, чтобы расплатиться с долгами. Тут как бы все и начинается... Мальчик находит семью. Большие неприятности - родственнички. Девочка находит биологических родителей, но важнее ей наше семейство, с которым мы и огонь, и воду прошли. Множество фантомов найдут себе дом. И сын фантомного семейства наконец-то спокойствие в делах сердечных.
Мило. Порой будут неприятные подробности от того как выглядят фантомы и что порой творят со своими телами. Но большую часть повествования будут занимать милые люди, которые обязательно за все хорошее и против всего плохого. Будет затронут вопрос о том, что животных обижать нельзя. И кто на самом деле семья, кто родил или воспитал. Мило.
Скорее всего для детей это целый эмоциональный пласт с переживаниями. Для меня скучновато и я как всегда считаю, что не все вопросы до конца раскрыты, но радостно, что они затронуты. А еще чувствуется запах старины от слова "эктоплазма")))
Есть такие книжки, с историей, но простые. В этом плане Агенство такое же. Вроде бы есть история и даже не одна, но рассказать в итоге не о чем.
Если по порядку, то у нас семья, которая превратилась в фантомы из-за того, что во время второй мировой на их дом попадает бомба. Семья - это мама, папа, бабушка и сын, а еще попугайчик, но его сложно назвать полноценным членом семьи. В доме еще была одна живая душа, но она похоже в фантом не превратилась, но помнить мы о ней будем всю книгу, потому что семья ее будет звать, звать и звать.
Интересный факт, фантомы могут летать, но воспользуется таким видом перемещения наше семейство лишь один раз, чтобы найти потерянную девочку фантом, которую они примут как родную. И не было бы никаких происшествий с этим милым семейством, если бы они оставались жить в своем доме, но им помешали новые жильцы и поэтому семейство решилось на большое путешествие в Лондон, чтобы жить в лавке с нижним жильем.
Когда читала про это думала неужели их собственный дом был еще меньше и неудобнее, чем лавка нижнего белья, где они разместились в тесноте и как попало? Это просто сразу перенесло в реальную жизнь, когда люди не в состоянии поменять свою жизнь и почему-то решившись на какой-то большой шаг не могут оценить, что он был неверный, почему-то смиряются и не идут дальше. Или хотя бы не занимаются разведкой новых возможностей. Ведь им все так же никто не мешает уехать из Лондона, пусть не назад (хотя что тут такого?), но на новое место, где им не надо будет ютиться. И ладно, герои люди подневольные, им приходится следовать за задумкой автора, чтобы встретить двух ведьм, которые найдут для них дом, но люди, люди-то!
В конечном итоге наше семейство переезжает в большой замок, правда происходит это по ошибке, потому что достаться они должны были монашкам, их овечкам, ягнятам и пчелам. А достались они маленькому мальчику сироте, которому достался замок и во всех отношениях неприятные родственники, жаждущие этот замок с землями наследством, чтобы расплатиться с долгами. Тут как бы все и начинается... Мальчик находит семью. Большие неприятности - родственнички. Девочка находит биологических родителей, но важнее ей наше семейство, с которым мы и огонь, и воду прошли. Множество фантомов найдут себе дом. И сын фантомного семейства наконец-то спокойствие в делах сердечных.
Мило. Порой будут неприятные подробности от того как выглядят фантомы и что порой творят со своими телами. Но большую часть повествования будут занимать милые люди, которые обязательно за все хорошее и против всего плохого. Будет затронут вопрос о том, что животных обижать нельзя. И кто на самом деле семья, кто родил или воспитал. Мило.
Скорее всего для детей это целый эмоциональный пласт с переживаниями. Для меня скучновато и я как всегда считаю, что не все вопросы до конца раскрыты, но радостно, что они затронуты. А еще чувствуется запах старины от слова "эктоплазма")))
Read
May 27, 2022The book I read is called Dial- A- Ghost by Eva Ibbotson. This book is about an evil guy named Fulton, and his sister Freida, who try to kill a little kid. They start off by fostering Oliver and making him think they are good people, then they go to “Adopt - a- Ghost” and ask for the worst/most scariest ghosts there so they could make the most haunted house and get money for it. But really they want it so they could leave it to Oliver for him to die. The same day a different family goes to Adopt-a-ghost and asks for a pair of nice ghosts. And when the ghosts were being sent to the places that they were supposed to go to they got switched up and the bad ghosts went to the good place and the good ghosts went to the Helton hall. So since Oliver got the good ghosts they made a plan together to stop Fulton and Freida. But they made friends with the ghosts and ran away together never to be seen again.
I think the author did an ok job at making me understand how the book was. I didn't like how the book was laid out because it kept switching from one side of the story to another side of the story. I also connected with Fulton a little because he got forced by Freida to do all that he did and I get forced to do things that I don't want to do. No one knew he was getting forced because he kept it to himself, but there was a line in the book where he told Freida he didn't want to do it and she still made him which made me mad that he didn't tell nobody. But then again he would ever know what Freida would do to him if he didn't listen to her.
I recommend this book to people who like horror stories and cartoons because this book is like a mix. I have mixed feelings about this because I like the horror part of it but it's just too kiddish. But it was also kind of hard to read for how kiddish the book was because some parts didn't really make sense to me. I would not read this book again because there were many parts to it that weren't really needed.
I think the author did an ok job at making me understand how the book was. I didn't like how the book was laid out because it kept switching from one side of the story to another side of the story. I also connected with Fulton a little because he got forced by Freida to do all that he did and I get forced to do things that I don't want to do. No one knew he was getting forced because he kept it to himself, but there was a line in the book where he told Freida he didn't want to do it and she still made him which made me mad that he didn't tell nobody. But then again he would ever know what Freida would do to him if he didn't listen to her.
I recommend this book to people who like horror stories and cartoons because this book is like a mix. I have mixed feelings about this because I like the horror part of it but it's just too kiddish. But it was also kind of hard to read for how kiddish the book was because some parts didn't really make sense to me. I would not read this book again because there were many parts to it that weren't really needed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2024
It been a while since I've honestly rated a book 5 stars and I clearly didn't expect it to be a children's novel. I have never been this sad about a writer's death especially after Fourth grade me asked the librarian about the author of The Chronicles of Narnia which i could barely pronounce then but was so excited to ask them many questions. I think at the end of any book, it should leave a mark on the reader's heart and that happens rarely to me especially in this day and age where books are marketed and consumed like a product instead of a form of art.
My brother had borrowed the book from his school library and I borrowed it from him because i thought it would make a good spooky halloween read but i didn't expect it to touch my heart. I completely devoured this book late at night, in the class, during lunch, during dinner, middle of my study break while i secretly hoped it wouldn't finish.
It was perfect, the plot, the pacing, the mystery, the suspense, and everything about this book was just soooo damn perfect that i just can't get enough of it honestly. It hadn't been a shock to me that the book was published in 1996 and i had the 2009 copy because of the yellow pages which i absolutely love.
I think I've told the plot of the book everyone I know and they've never seen me this excited about a book besides a Frieda mcfadden book. But only if Eva Ibbotson the author was alive this review would be in her mailbox because that's what i wanted to originally before i broke my heart this morning when i found out she passed away in 2010. I still love you, Eva! Can't wait to read all of your other works in the coming years.
My brother had borrowed the book from his school library and I borrowed it from him because i thought it would make a good spooky halloween read but i didn't expect it to touch my heart. I completely devoured this book late at night, in the class, during lunch, during dinner, middle of my study break while i secretly hoped it wouldn't finish.
It was perfect, the plot, the pacing, the mystery, the suspense, and everything about this book was just soooo damn perfect that i just can't get enough of it honestly. It hadn't been a shock to me that the book was published in 1996 and i had the 2009 copy because of the yellow pages which i absolutely love.
I think I've told the plot of the book everyone I know and they've never seen me this excited about a book besides a Frieda mcfadden book. But only if Eva Ibbotson the author was alive this review would be in her mailbox because that's what i wanted to originally before i broke my heart this morning when i found out she passed away in 2010. I still love you, Eva! Can't wait to read all of your other works in the coming years.
October 21, 2018
Copyright 1996, this is a Scholastic book. Kind of a goofy read. Some parts are kind of depressing, but the author tries to keep it upbeat. Elementary school age appropriate.
A young boy finds out he's heir to a huge estate after living in an orphanage all his life. Thing is - he's loved at the orphanage & doesn't want to leave. His evil distant cousins want to kill him & have the estate (& the money involved) to themselves.
These 2 crazy ladies start a business called "Adopt-A-Ghost". They farm out unwanted spooks to people who appreciate them. Then all sorts of shenanigans start.
I didn't think I'd like this book as much as I did. It's got lots of humor & doesn't take itself seriously. I would recommend.
A young boy finds out he's heir to a huge estate after living in an orphanage all his life. Thing is - he's loved at the orphanage & doesn't want to leave. His evil distant cousins want to kill him & have the estate (& the money involved) to themselves.
These 2 crazy ladies start a business called "Adopt-A-Ghost". They farm out unwanted spooks to people who appreciate them. Then all sorts of shenanigans start.
I didn't think I'd like this book as much as I did. It's got lots of humor & doesn't take itself seriously. I would recommend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews