The Ghost Garden

by Emma Carroll

SUMMER 1914. When Fran unearths a bone in the garden of Longbarrow House on the same afternoon that Leo breaks his leg, it must surely be just a coincidence. But Fran can't shake the uneasy feeling that the events are somehow connected, and there is a shift in the atmosphere that leaves her troubled and anxious. Roped into keeping wheelchair-bound Leo company, Fran is forced to listen to his foolish theories about the looming threat of war in Europe. But as the pair start to uncover more secrets buried beneath the garden, they dredge up threatening shadows of the future, and Fran begins to fear that Leo's dire predictions might be coming true ... Queen of Historical Fiction, Emma Carroll, makes her Barrington Stoke debut with a powerful, evocative, and spine-tingling story of childhood on the brink of war.

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Childrens, Mystery, Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

After years of teaching English to secondary school students, Emma now writes full time. She graduated with distinction from Bath Spa University’s MA in Writing For Young People. In another life Emma wishes she’d written ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne Du Maurier. She lives in the Somerset hills with her husband and three terriers.

Reviews

[Marthabethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read for me as an adult reader. I liked the foreshadowing and the exploration of the past. However, due to the shortness of the novel I didn’t learn much about the characters and the backstory. This is a good middle grade novel as it’s fast paced, illustrated, fun and historical.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not the target audience so take this review with a pinch of salt. This was short and sweet; a fun and enjoyable tale but one I wished had more of the eerie vibes, that were hinted at from the cover and the synopsis, at the forefront of the novel's focus.

[Mathew · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the summer of 1914 and Fran, daughter of Long Barrow House's Head Gardener, unearths a bone in the potato patch. The discovery makes her uneasy and more so when Leo Walker, grandson to the owner's estate, breaks his leg playing not long afterwards. Leo carries his own concerns - there are rumblings in Europe of war.

Charged with caring for Leo, Fran, with his support, begins to unravel the mystery behind the hidden bone and in doing so dig up secrets of the land and a long-forgotten ghost of a past. How are these incidents linked to the looming presence of war? Perhaps Leo and Fran might find the answer.

Pitch-perfectly paced, Carroll's entertaining and gripping short tale is accompanied by the hauntingly alluring illustrations of Kaja Kajfez and together they evoke a primal, engaging story about the coming of the war and a deep unearthing of a ghostly past. Super stuff.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, a quick read, a spooky but heartwarming historical fiction with beautiful illustrations

[Amy (Golden Books Girl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know me even slightly, I don’t think you’ll be surprised to hear that I loved this, because Emma Carroll is pretty much my favourite author of all time and I’m obsessed with everything she’s ever written! In her first novella for Barrington Stoke, she tells the story of a girl named Fran, who is a gardener of a grand house’s daughter, as she is forced to become a companion to the lady of the house’s grandson Leo, who has just broken his leg and is driving everyone mad with her conspiracy theories that war is going to break out. I thought this was a genius time period in which to set the story, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done before, plus it lended itself beautifully to the shorter length as it allowed a real snapshot of what things would have been like at this time without simply repeating things. I also loved the two main characters and their unlikely, and somewhat unusual, friendship, and the fabulism element was so interesting as I hadn’t been expecting it and it just took me by surprise! If you love historical fiction or fabulism or just a really good story in general, this is a must read! 5/5 

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book and I enjoyed this book very much.
It was a bit too short as I felt that the book had room to be longer.
The plot was brilliant and the characters were fantastic and worked well together.

[Melissa Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an lovely book, Creepy but to short, I loved this, the illustrations were beautiful 🖤 highly recommend

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Carroll is probably my favourite contemporary children's author. This is, I believe, her first book to be published by Barrington Stoke who specialise in dyslexia-friendly books for younger readers. Because of this it's a really quick read (for an adult). It has engaging characters and an exciting storyline that will particularly appeal to children of around eight and nine.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very short but super fast paced and spooky. I love that this a dyslexic friendly book

[sonataiscool · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting read :)

[sgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very compelling and sweet story, perfect for children with an interest in WW1

[Cat Strawberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s 1914 and Fran loves nothing more than helping her father in the gardens of Longbarrow House. As she digs up some potatoes, Fran suddenly hits something, a bone, large enough to belong to a human. Soon after one of the grandchildren of the owner of Longbarrow House, has an accident and is hurt, his injury being a broken leg bone. Fran can’t help but feel an uneasy connection between the two. Did the bone she just found and hit while digging, cause the boy his accident? And if it did, what other things might she find in the gardens of the house?

I have really enjoyed this lovely and quite spooky story. Fran’s parents work at Longbarrow house. Her father is a gardener and Fran spends time with him helping to pull up the vegetables from the garden. Soon after his accident, Leo, one of three grandchildren of Mrs Walker, the estate’s owner, soon returns from hospital, and spends his days stuck in a wicker bath chair, a sort of old-fashioned wicker wheelchair, and Fran is soon asked to keep him company every day to help keep his mind away from thoughts of a war which hasn’t happened yet. The two end up exploring the gardens and grounds of the Longbarrow Estate and when Leo shares what he knows about the name of the house, it isn’t long before they find something interesting and quite eerie.

I can’t help but be reminded of 'The Secret Garden' when I read this, and I just loved what happened when Fran and Leo met every day. The idea of the children searching for something unknown in the vast outdoor gardens of the house, as well as the idea of the two of them being from very different backgrounds and classes, having to get along and find some common ground was interesting to read. I like how some slightly old fashioned language and expressions were weaved into the speech of these characters, especially Leo when he’s expressing his annoyance at being left in the garden alone. The story is a bit of a spooky one and while it isn’t really scary, there are some great and spooky coincidences between what Fran finds in the garden and what happens in wider world, and there’s also a spooky feel to what the two find towards the end of the book too. While Leo is at first preoccupied with thoughts about things happening in the world, and in particular about a looming war, his focus soon changes to finding something specific in the grounds of Longbarrow House. I liked how both of these characters grew through the story and I enjoyed the slight tension they had at the start.

As the two search the grounds they eventually find what they are looking for and I just love how this happens and how interesting the story became. I didn’t know what would happen once they came across something in the garden and in fact what they find and what happens ends up being more spooky and eerie than I had imagined! The ending is a good one, it wraps up the tale of the children’s garden adventure well, even though there are mixed feelings mentioned about the impending war. I like how this was wrapped up though, and the thoughts that Fran had and the wonderful message of hope that the story left us with.

The illustrations are lovely and appear along several pages in the book. Each of the images is in black white and grey and all of them show very well what the charcters are doing and the expressions they have. I just love how each of the different characters looks. The illustrations do a good job of enhancing the atmosphere of what is happeneing, especially later on when we discover what it is that Fran and Leo find in the garden. I just love how great all of these pictures look and they really do help to make the book more fun to read. The book is printed on thick yellowish coloured paper which makes it easier to look at for anyone with reading difficulties. The text is also very easy to read, printed in a special font and with each paragraph separated, it all together makes it easier to read for dyslexics and anyone who has difficulty reading. The book is quite short one too, at under a hundred pages so it makes it an easy read for those who find bigger books too daunting to try.

I really do like this historical tale. I’ve always loved stories set in and around the first and second world wars, but this one is a really lovely with the children discovering something very interesting in the gardens and something quite spooky happening towards the ending. There are some brilliant twists and eerie coincidences and the story in general is really compelling to read. In fact I couldn’t stop turning the pages until I had finished the whole book! While the general story of what happens in the garden and all the spookiness of it makes for a fun read, it’s really the hopeful message at the end, and the friendship that develops between the two children which really makes this a lovely book to read and one which I would recommend to everyone regardless of age!
-Thanks to Barrington Stoke for a free copy for review.

[whatbooknext · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fran is perfectly happy in her own company. She doesn’t miss not having any siblings especially when she hears the Walker grandchildren in the garden that her father tends.

Usually Leo and twins Evan and Jessie are away at expensive boarding schools, but every summer holidays they stay with their grandmother (and Fran’s Dad’s boss) Mrs Walker at her grand house called Longbarrow. The children are noisy, greedy and they mock Fran’s accent.

One morning, while Fran helps her father in the Longbarrow House vegie gardens, she hits something hard under the dirt with her gardening fork. Digging further reveals a long bone. Only minutes later there is a cry from the Walker children. Jessie has lashed out with a cricket bat and Leo is lying on the ground. They call out for help and Fran can see the bone of his leg, broken.

Later, when Leo has ben whisked away and seen by a doctor, Fran thinks more about the terrible day. Did striking the bone in the vegie garden and Leo’s splintered bone have something in common, or was it a coincidence?

Again she’s helping in the garden when she finds something else, and then news in her family is similar. What is happening here?

Leo is now in a bath chair (early 20th century wheelchair) and bored silly. His twin siblings are too irresponsible to look after him during the day so Fran is asked by Mrs Walker if she will keep him company.

She tells Leo of her fears about the coincidences happening to her and then another rises to meet them. Leo knows the history of Longbarrow House and together they find the scariest coincidence of all.



This dyslexic title is set in 1914 at a grand manor called Longbarrow House. It portrays life back then of the wealthy children of the manor with worry-free outdoor days and posh accents, and the gardener’s daughter who has always avoided them.

Brought together after an injury, Fran gets to know the oldest Walker child. Whilst exploring they discover historical secrets of Longbarrow House. Secrets that bleed into their own lives.

[Amy Walker - Trans-Scribe Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a good few books that take place during the first world war, even if they don't necessarily deal with people involved in the war it's still not hard to find stories of people getting by with loved ones off fighting, trying to keep their lives together as the conflict rages on. But I'm not sure if I'd read a book that deals with the build-up to the war, especially one designed for children.

The Ghost Garden is set in the summer of 1914, as tensions build in Europe and Britain faces the prospect of having to send its men off to fight and die. It's during this period that we meet Fran, a young girl who's the daughter of the groundskeeper and gardener of Longbarrow House, a large stately home. She spends her days following her father around the grounds, helping him with his jobs.
This all changes when the grandchildren of the owner, Mrs Walker, come to spend their summer holidays at the house. Fran doesn't really like the Walker children much, and is used to being alone much of the time. However, the same day that Fran discovers a strange bone in the potato patch, accidentally breaking it with her gardening fork, Leo Walker is injured by his younger sister, breaking his leg.

At first Fran thinks this is a strange coincidence and thinks nothing more of it, until she finds something else buried in the garden, something else that seems to predict the future. Now Fran begins to think that there might be something strange about Longbarrow. When she gets roped into helping Leo around, who is now stuck in a wheelchair whilst his leg heals, she discovers that Leo believes their might be an ancient burial mound on the property. Does this connect to the strange things that Fran has been experiencing, and what could happen if the two of them actually find it?

The Ghost Garden is a short but sweet novella, and uses its limited page count well, and every scene feels like it serves a purpose, with their the story being driven forwards, or readers being given the chance to spend some time with Fran and really getting to know her. Fran is a very likeable protagonist, and I came away with a good sense of who she is and what motivates her over the course of the book, and quickly came to like her.

Leo, on the other hand, definitely feels a bit more mysterious to begin with, and it takes you a while to understand him and come to like him, but very quickly you see that not only is he much more likeable that you first expect, but he proves to be a great counterpart to Fran. The two of them work really well together, and I'd love to see more stories with the two of them solving more mysteries, and discovering more secrets.

The book deals with the looming threat of the war well, and very slowly reveals to the reader the events that are happening in Europe, using Leo's interest in global politics to let the reader in on these things without it feeling overwhelming, or like an info dump. It also does a good job of exploring the very real fears that people would have had at the time, particularly the worries children would have had about loved ones going off to fight. They're quite grim moments, with the weight of those emotions having great effect on the characters, yet Emma Carol never allows these dour moments to overwhelm the scenes, and the book ultimately has a feeling of hope and grim determination for the younger characters.

I think that this is a book that younger readers will definitely enjoy, there's a good mystery going on, some spooky happenings that will have readers on their guard for much of the book, and it gives some great insight to how people felt during this frightening period. Plus, the book has some wonderful illustrations by Kaja Kajfez, who really manages to bring the characters to life. 

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ghost Garden takes place just before the start of WWI. Fran is a young girl working with her father in the garden on the estate where they live. One day, Fran finds a bone in the garden. She thinks this is odd and mysterious, until more odd and mysterious things start to happen around the estate.

I wouldn't call this a ghost story; rather, it is a coming-of-age story with ghosts in it. I really like how Emma Carroll portrays the mystery and childhood wonder in Fran's explorations of the gardens and the mysteries they bring to her. There is a sense of whimsy, but also of fear as the mysteries turn into predictions of terrible things to come.

The writing is very beautiful. This is my first book by Carroll, but I am eager to read her other works (of which, I am happy to say, she seems to have many!). In this particular story, I get a lot of Secret Garden vibes, and, especially with the exploration of tombs and ghosts, I have ended up feeling very nostalgic for my own childhood. I usually don't like war stories, but this one dealt with the impending war in a very healthy and subtle way.

I recommend this book to those who want some nostalgic feelings, and some sense of whimsy.

[Jo Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to have an early read of this compelling story and shared it with the year 6 children at my school and they were completed captivated by this eerie and atmospheric tale. Despite only being 85 pages, Emma has managed to draw together all of her trademark strengths: superb characterisation; well constructed historical settings and moving storytelling to create a truly remarkable story. Although our time with Fran and Leo is brief she still manages to convey all the uncertainty of the period perfectly and gives us a real insight into the character’s hearts and minds. For the reader as the story unravels it becomes more poignant as we know the dark times they will soon face. It’s this sense of foreboding mixed with superstition that make for a really impactful and spine-tingling story. Kaja’s illustrations capture this sense of unease and spookiness of this tale brilliantly. A book that deserves to be in every school library, another absolute gem from Emma.

[stefiereads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uff. I guess so far I am in the minority here.
I am quite disappointed with The Ghost Garden. I guess because I expect too much.

So, when reading the premise of this book, I was sure that this book is going to be creepy. It is not. I mean, the atmosphere of this book is eerie. It has the chilly feeling when I read it. But that's all about it, nothing too creepy. I guess it is great if you want your kids to be able to sleep at night :D
The book kept me guessing, so I kept turning those pages. Our MC, Fran is a likeable character and her friendship with Leo. I also appreciate that the setting is during the time just before the WW1 happened, it gave a great intro for the younger readers about this era.

Two stars for the page turner, for the settings and for the illustrations by one of my favourite illustrators, Kaja K.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ghost Garden by Emma Carroll is a charming children’s historical novel that is perfect for ages 8-10 years old.
The book is set over the summer of 1914. We follow a young boy who is remarkably perceptive about events in Europe as he foresees World War I.
We follow the action through the eyes of the young daughter of the gardener to a big house. She believes that her discoveries in the garden also foretell of events.
This book will educate young readers about events that led up to the outbreak of World War I.
The book also shows the class divide that existed at that time. This divide could be bridged by kindness and shared events.
This is a book to be shared with our children or for more confident readers to access themselves. It can also provide a starting point for discussions about World War I.

[Josie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be in the same vein as Lucy Strange's paranormal historical novellas (which are also written for Barrington Stoke), but it was very bland. The story had potential, with Fran discovering objects in the garden that seemed to predict future events, but the spooky vibes then fizzled out. She and Leo had zero personality, and the plot felt incredibly forced, with them just happening upon the map in the library that then magically led them to the burial mound that appeared out of nowhere... The bit where Fran finds the skeleton in the barrow had literally no bearing on the story? You could have cut out that scene and it would have made no difference.

I also thought it was weird that Leo said at the end he "didn't honestly believe war would happen", given that he was the ONLY character in the book that thought it was likely??? He'd been reading newspapers and talking about the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and telling everyone war was inevitable! The adult characters said he was "obsessed" and "terrifying his poor siblings" but apparently he didn't mean it lol what.

[Hannah Fazakerley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Carroll’s books are always enjoyable and also give you a glimpse through a window into the past. I loved the spooky atmosphere of the book and it reminded me of childhood days exploring the countryside in the West Country. As with all Emma’s books it is very well written, and this particular book makes historical fiction accessible to a wider reading audience. It would make a great start into a WW1 primary school topic. Even though it is shorter book, the characters and world are compelling and superbly imagined. I also really liked the illustrations.

Favourite quote “Difficult times are better faced together.”

[Alexie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book as it was short but kept the reader in suspense through out.However I would have liked it to be longer to see how the future turns out, (that why my rating is 4 stars).

I really enjoyed the last couple pages of chapter 5 as you feel the suspense and understand why this is classed as a thriller which I thought wouldn't work as a book for children and young adult but it does.

I also really enjoy the picture as they are well detailed but made simple as they are in black and white, the pictures make the suspense really as you get to see the story from fran's point of view visually.

[Luca Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummmm … okay.

Obviously I’m not the target audience for this particular little book. And it didn’t really work for me, which is fine. My expectations were unrealistic thanks to someone else who talked about The Ghost Garden describing it as “creepy and seriously sinister.”
I guess that’s true for kids… maybe. But it really didn’t feel that way to me.

I thought the illustrations were wonderful. And I love that this was written to be dyslexia friendly. It was also interesting to see a book take place in the weeks preceding WW1. But that’s it really. I don’t feel any connection to this little book…

[Caitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another Barrington Stoke book which is specifically published to be dyslexia friendly and to appeal to readers whose reading age is younger than their actual age.

This story is set in the summer of 1914, just before the outbreak of WW1 and centres around Fran. Fran's father is the gardener at a large manor house called Longbarrow House. On the same day that she digs up a bone in the house's grounds, Leo (the grandson of the owner) breaks his leg. Fran has an eerie feeling that these events are connected. The story has a 'Secret Garden' feeling to it as Fran ends up having to be a companion to Leo during his recovery and the two children begin to explore the many gardens around the house.

I was very interested in reading a book for children which was set just before the outbreak of WW1. There are many books which focus on the events during the war, but I have yet to come across another one that covers the weeks leading up to the war. As always with Emma Carroll books there was lots of factual information mixed into the plot discussing the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and the rising tensions across Europe. I think this would be an excellent, short book to read prior to starting a topic on WW1.

For me, the length of the book meant that the plot was wrapped up very quickly and we didn't get as much time as I would have liked to explore the grounds further and develop the relationship between Fran and Leo. Something I really did like, was the poignant note the book ended on with the characters resigning themselves to the outbreak of war and their thoughts about what might happen next...

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely little book. This was my first Emma Carroll book and I have quite a few of her work. I must say that her writing style is very engaging and educational. She tackles historical events in a very clever way that is easy to comprehend for her audience be it small or big. Strongly recommend this book what I loved about it were the historical facts that educate children about the WWI and what caused it. Lovely

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A spooky story of what potentially is buried bad news about the future, designed primarily for dyslexic readers but more than good enough for us all to want to see a copy.

For the whole, very positive review, please click on:-
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/T...

[Caroline Marks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb!

I’ll be reading this with some of my reading students. A quick, easy read. It would make a lovely film. Not scary, but spooky in the ways that kids spook themselves as they mature and start to question the adult world. Throw in some very important history and it’s a winner.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cracking little historical fiction. I'm using this with a Y6 reading intervention group but we hadn't quite finished so I wanted to see how it ended.
I love these short Barrington Stoke books, super accessible. I always want them to be longer and for the story to develop more, but of course that would defeat the object!

[Silke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eine eigentlich viel zu kurze, aber historisch atmosphärische und einfach gut erzählte Gruselgeschichte, die am Ende mehr Hintergrund liefert, als erwartet. Gerade dies inspiriert mich, Emma Carroll‘s Bücher nochmal genauer anzuschauen.
Diese Geschichte schwingt ähnlich, wie der Klassiker „Der geheime Garten“.

[Vonprice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent middle grade historical fiction with a spooky twist.
You can read my full review here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

While digging in the garden, Fran finds a bone and accidentally cracks it. Shortly after, a boy gets his leg broken while playing cricket nearby! Extremely creepy! Could it be a coincidence that everything she finds seems to predict the future?