A Ghost Named Fred

by Nathaniel Benchley

A small boy finds shelter from the rain in an old house and meets a ghost'named Fred.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Halloween, Friendship, Fantasy, Ghosts

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Born in Newton, Massachusetts to a literary family, he was the son of Gertrude Darling and Robert Benchley (1889-1945), the noted American writer, humorist, critic, actor, and one of the founders of the Algonquin Round Table in New York City.

Nathaniel Benchley was the highly-respected author of many children's/juvenile books that provided learning for the youthful readers with stories of various animals or through the book's historical settings. Benchley dealt with diverse locales and topics such as "Bright Candles", which recounts the experiences of a 16-year-old Danish boy during the German occupation of his country in World War II; and "Small Wolf", a story about a Native American boy who meets white men on the island of Manhattan and learns that their ideas about land are different from those of his own peoples'.

Film director/producer, Norman Jewison made Benchley's 1961 novel The Off-Islanders into a motion picture titled The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming for which he received the nomination for an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay. He was a close friend of actor Humphrey Bogart and wrote his biography in 1975.

Benchley's novel Welcome to Xanadu was made into the 1975 motion picture Sweet Hostage.

His elder son, Peter Benchley (1940-2006), was a writer best known for writing the novel Jaws and the screenplay of the 1975 Steven Spielberg film made from it. His younger son, Nat Benchley, is a writer and actor who has portrayed his grandfather, Robert Benchley, in a one-man, semi-biographical stage show, "Benchley Despite Himself". The show was a compilation of Robert Benchley's best monologues, short films, radio rantings and pithy pieces as recalled, edited, and acted by his grandson Nat, and combined with family reminiscences and friends' perspectives."

Nathaniel Benchley died in 1981 in Boston, Massachusetts and was interred in the family plot at Prospect Hill Cemetery in Nantucket.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, *I* am charmed. And young me would have been. But today's kids, maybe not. It reads like a simply silly adventure, until a reread reveals the subtle magic about a lonely child, and a not-quite-so-lonely ghost, and how they ease each other's burdens.

[s jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love you Fred

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The days of childhood innocence are long past for me. As time progressed new challenges were faced. Many of us were forced to grow up too fast. Innocence was buried and imagination and creativity was shelved to learn other skills.I decided to see what it would be like to return to some books that I loved during childhood. There were two in particular that I thought of but it was A Ghost Named Fred that I found first. Like destiny, it just appeared in my house one day. I began to read it. Our story opens up with a young boy named George. George is presumed to be around 5-7 years old. Unfortunately for George, there is nobody for him to play with that is his age. There is obviously an absence of a mother and father figure. George takes refuge in his imagination to pass the time. One day George pretends to be an astronaut He soon ventures very far away from home as becomes lost. He gets what he wants. Day soon turns to night and rain begins to pour. Without hesitation, George runs to a old house showered in darkness. In this house he finds a ghost named Fred. The book consists of dialogue between George and Fred and their search for treasure (a search for eternal companionship that George seeks). This book is about the beauty of pure imagination that we are gifted as children. Paired with the search of an father figure (found in George) and the entertainment of unhinged fantasy that the too merge with each other, this children's book runs deep in the roots of all of us. I think its good for us to look back and find that roses we forgot to appreciate the smell of and savoir it one last time. Writing and pacing is what you would expect, but it never bores. On the entertainment director scale this book receives a Stephen Spielberg post ET. The illustrations happened to be unique and intriguing. I did not like the sudden ending of the book but I found myself to be satisfied.

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm smitten by the gorgeous illustrations.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange, but cute story about a young boy who meets a ghost. Not sure what inspired me to borrow this one from the library, but it's been hanging around and I wanted to return it ASAP.

Fun, fast read with illustrations that are certainly reminiscent of the books I read as a child (although I have no memory of reading this particular one.)

September 2022 update: I discovered this book in a Little Free Library and just had to read it. It was familiar to me, so I wasn't surprised that I'd logged it here before. My sentiments haven't changed and I was happy to read it and return it.

[Barrett Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Yes," the eyes replied.
"But I'd rather have
you call me Fred.
And I still want to know what is on your head."

A rather entertaining kids book that I purchased out of the sheer curiosity that the title and cover sparked in my mind. I adored the horrific children's books from Alvin Schwartz, and I went in expecting something similar, but honestly it was a very wholesome book more than anything. Way more of an exploration book set in a haunted house than a book about a haunted house if that makes any sense. Fun and harmless, and slightly forgettable in the end. The illustrations were all great, though.

[Morgan Wylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: While playing outside, George finds shelter from the rain in an old abandoned house. To his surprise, he meets a ghost named Fred.
Evaluation: I give this book a 5 stars. It is appropriate for 1st and 2nd grade students. The words a bold and the sentences have plenty of space in between for beginning readers. The pictures help students make connects with the text by providing context clues. This is a good book for new readers.
Teaching Point: I could use this book when teaching students to use their context clues. If students have trouble figuring out how to sound out the word astronaut (Pg. 13) they can look at the picture and figure out what the word could be. There are plenty of context clues throughout this book.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lonely boy named George gets lost while playing astronaut, and takes shelter in a vacant house during a rain storm. He encounters a ghost named Fred, and together they seek lost treasure inside the house.

[Whitney M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I initially got this book for Halloween decor because I loved the title and cover illustration.
Fun little read. Could have used maybe two more pages for the ending but overall cute little ghost story.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

George, a boy who has no one to play with, wanders into an old house after getting lost. He meets a ghost named Fred.

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute easy read for my daughter. I appreciate these older I Can Read books that aren't filled with garbage.

[Cassidy Finch · Rating 5 out of 5]

My ALL TIME favorite book as a child.

[Mosley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really do enjoy reading old forgotten books to my daughter. The art work is very unique and different from books nowadays and oh how I love the smell.

[Shiann Ruiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the beauty of pure imagination that we are gifted as children.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming little story about a boy who doesn't have any friends. Then, one day, he gets caught in a storm and takes refuge in a dilapidated old house that is haunted by a ghost. The ghost tells the boy that there is a treasure somewhere in the house and the boy and his friend the ghost go and search of it. Cute, but could have been better. My rating - 3/5

[Shanice Robinson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't enjoy this book much, I feel that there was more to be desired.

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reason for Reading: Ds read this one aloud as his daily reader.

Comments: George has no one to play with so he comes up with imaginative games to play on his own. One day while playing astronaut he ventures far from home, it starts to rain, and he enters an old spooky looking house. Here he meets Fred the ghost who is guarding the treasure only he doesn't know where the treasure is, so George agrees to help him find it.

This book has not been reprinted lately so it has not been given a 'Level' but I'd say it was Level 1 as it is mostly an easy reader with 'astronaut' and 'treasure' being the only truly hard words to phonetically sound out. The story is enjoyable. Ds looked forward to reading it each day. He had looked through the book so knew the ending and was anticipating coming to the part where the characters found the treasure. Myself, I found the story somewhat slow and not all that exciting. I also found the storyline of allowing the child to roam so far from home and enter a strange building not something that would be encouraged in today's day and age. However, I love Shecter's illustrations. He was a popular children's illustrator of the day and he always reminds me somewhat of Maurice Sendak. The book is still in print as a library edition but not in any other forms. A cute book especially for its illustrations, but just keep your eye out for a used copy to pop up at a book sale somewhere.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: A small boy finds shelter from the rain in an old house and meets a ghost'named Fred. Colorful illustrations plus a mystery which will delight 1st- and 2nd-grade readers.
Award-winner: Children's Books of 1968 (Library of Congress)

Potential Audience (reading level): k-2; late emergent/early

Genre: Fictional picture book

Topic: imagination, ghosts, adventure for lost treasure

Specific curricular uses: This would be a good guided reading book for second graders. Model how to read the book aloud to the students first, and let them go through again and read on their own.

Social issues the book addresses: Using imagination to combat boredom, encounters with the paranormal

Specific literary elements: Dialogue is effective in creating suspense in the plot, and it also establishes interaction between the boy and the ghost.

Interactions and counter actions of text and images: Colorful images support, but do not really add anything to the understanding of the text. It is fun, however, how the ghost is drawn in many different ways. For instance, sometimes just his eyes appear. Other times, he's floating, hanging upside down, or walking through a door.

[Joanna Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ages 6-8. This green level, intermediate easy reader book depicts a young boy who, upon finding himself lost in the rain, goes into an old house and befriends a ghost. Together, they hunt for the treasure the ghost is supposed to be guarding but cannot remember the location of. The dark,shadowy backgrounds in these illustrations contrast with the bright objects int he forefront. The highlight of this story might be that it turns something which is traditionally considered scary--a ghost--on its' head and makes it seem quite likable. Some parents may find it unsettling that it features a small child whose solution to getting lost is to enter a an abandoned, scary looking home. However this story opens up an opportunity for parents to discuss with their children what a good action plan might be if the they do get lost. This book would be a wonderful addition to a public library or elementary school's youth collection.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an enjoyable story! This timeless classic tells the tale of a young boy who meets a ghost in an abandoned house while he is out playing. My son enjoyed hearing this tale and gives it 5 stars. I'm a bit more conservative with my stars, so I give it 4 to 4.5 stars. The one thing about this book is that it was written in a time (1968) when children going in to a strange house in the neighborhood did not send chills down a parent's spine. However, I did find that it did open up a conversation between my son and I about not going in to stranger homes, in a very non-threating way. I recommend this book for an enjoyable read for beginning readers to share with a parent or for a more advance reader to try on their own.

[Codie Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

George has no friends. He makes up games and imaginary friends to play with. One day, while pretending to be an astronaut, it starts to rain. He enters an old house to find shelter from the rain and there he meets a ghost named Fred. Fred is guarding a treasure that only he knows where it is hidden. But Fred soon realizes that he actually cannot remember where the treasure is. George agrees to help him find it.

A fun book to read around Halloween because it deals with ghosts. Our class could go on a treasure hunt.

[Heather B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about George who had no one to play with so he would make up is games and pretend to be a cowboy, a pilot, or even a submarine. One day he was outside pretending to be an astronaut and become lost. It started to rain, so he went inside to a big dark house to get out of the rain. That is when George meets Fred, a friendly ghost and Fred wants George to help him find where he left his treasure because Fred the ghost could not remember. This story was okay and I would recommend it for early readers pre-K to 2nd grade Published 1968.

[Loren · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we chose this book from the library, we were a little concerned that it might be too scary for a 4-year-old, especially the part where the ghost follows the boy around the house, then materializes eyeballs first. Instead, Lenore adored the book. We read it over and over until she memorized it all. Then she enjoyed "reading" it to us. She found the friendship between the boy and the ghost utterly charming.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library yesterday. I think my brother might have helped.

Oh my goodness! Where was this little gem when I was growing up?! Why did no one buy it for ME? Seriously, I loved this book so much, I am going to have to look for more books by Nathaniel Benchley (related to Robert, maybe?). Luckily for me, my son inherited my rather dark sense of humor and loved this book as much as I did.

[Peggy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great I Can Read book. Creepy enough in the beginning, but not too scary. A ghost, Fred, is guarding a treasure in a haunted house, but he can't remember where it's hidden. Good for first and second grades!

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

A childhood classic.

[Leah Lemon]

This is a cute book for Halloween.

[LeAnn Forystek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was great to introduce mysteries to kids, not scary at all and the ghost named Fred was really friendly.

[Tommy Verhaegen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leuk voorleesboek voor de allerkleinsten. Begint een beetje griezelig maar alles komt al snel goed.

[Little Champs]

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