Ghost in My Soup

by Judi Miller

Scott's New House Is Haunted!

Ten-year-old Scott's troubles start the day he and his family move to Chagrin Falls. His best friend is now far away, he's stuck in a school he hates, and all the popular boys ignore him, Plus, strange things start to happen in his new house -- someone moves his games around, eats half the cornbread, steals the bread knife, and lets his little brother out the front door. Nobody can figure it out. Until Scott sees an old man in his room, and his parents see...no one! It's a ghost! A groaning, clanking, and much too helpful ghost. A ghost named Malcolm. And since his parents can't see Malcolm, Scott gets blamed for everything the spunky ghost does. Now Scott's whole life is nothing but a bunch of trouble. What's going to happen next? Well, Malcolm has a few spirited ideas....

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens

105 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am reviewing this today because at some point, the plan is to review all the books on my "favorites" shelf, in order to try to understand my own taste. i was thinking about this book earlier this morning (and as it is only 8:30 now, you can see i spend a lot of early morning-time devoted to serious intellectual thought) because i was thinking about writing a review for harington's With, until i realized i already had, but that it wasn't a very good one; it was more of a placeholder review, and how i could re-write a more useful one that would actually get people to read more harington, but that i didn't know where that book was, and since i wanted to quote from it to give a sense of what he does in that book that is good, but then i started thinking about the elements of that book that are problematic and controversial; pedophile kidnaps young girl from the roller rink, takes her to secluded mountaintop retreat, dies, she ends up living an edenic life with a ghost lover and many animal friends, which just makes it sound ridiculous, and it is not. and then i remembered that one of my very first crushes was malcolm, the ghost in the soup. this very soup. and he was the ghost of an elderly gentleman. talk about understanding my own tastes...but i did, i had such a thing for him, even though as far as ghosts go, he is pretty inept. but i was eight, so i guess my standards were different then. eight-year-old boys probably seemed pretty inept as well. so i understand the ghost-lover business. is all that line of thinking was to explain, but this ghost is no lover. not within the confines of this book, at any rate. this book is about upward mobility, and the transplanting of a young boy into a new environment where he is forced to make new friends, some dead, some less dead, and come to terms with life's changes. good sound advice. hot old ghost. i think i am the only one to have taken that particular lesson from this book. but come on:

"There are lady ghosts as well. And they're all my friends. They haunt big mansions and wrecked ships. Lovely creatures. I've always been faithful to my Martha, but they're still my friends. Some of them I met almost one hundred years ago, when I first started ghosting."

you know he's a player. he just doesn't want the eight-year-old to know it.

(and, yes, this book i can find, but with remains elusive. typical.)

so - yeah - welcome to my "favorites" shelf. and my interior monologue. and my slow slippery nervous breakdown. welcome.

come to my blog!

[F · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining chapter book written in 1985 for third / fourth grade reading level. I was a little surprised that author included an intentional father-son talk one evening about s-e-x to confirm his son knew "you can't get babies by kissing". I may try to find the author's adult suspense thrillers "Save the Last Dance for Me" and "I'll Be Wearing a White Carnation".

[Mark Rabideau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again my grandson (almost 7) found our book worth more than the allotted 5 stars. I think he simply enjoys being read to by opa (me). Nontheless he is right; this 'ghost tale' is 'in truth' entertaining, humorous and enjoyable.

[Stimpson J. Kat esq... · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books growing up I actually thought the sequel was better. I still own this one but I never did own the sequel though. It's a wonder why no more are written but than I remember nothing on the sequel so the way that ended may have something to do with it anyways a must read

[Roderick]

The attractive cover by my favorite illustrator Robert Chronister (1933) is the primary draw

[Rosey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Scott's life is going downhill. His family is moving! He had to leave behind his best friend and friends behind. The new group of boys acted as if he was invisible, and his mother was trying to make him play with a girl!

Not only was all that going on in Scott's life, but strange things have been happening at his house, which he's getting all blames for. Is there a ghost in his house, or is there not? And if so, can they be friends?

This book is good for young readers, especially boys, who enjoy ghost stories, and can help young readers learn how to deal with transition and new changes.

[T.l. Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was in elementary school. After I finished reading this book I knew that I wanted to write books that left readers feeling the way that I felt after reading this book. I was sad, yet happy.....I had my first ultimate literary experience with this book. Lovedit#

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first chapter book I ever read. I was in 2nd grade.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter book that I read. I must have read it a dozen times. I don't really remember what it was about, but I know that I used to love it.