Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Charming graphic novel about friendship and the afterlife.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
As GHOST BOOK opens, it's Hungry Ghost month, and the gates to the Underworld have been flung wide open. With ghosts running amok, there are things you must do to protect yourself. Kids at school joke about summoning the Hungry Ghosts, but 12-year-old July Chen can actually see them. She accidentally summons William, who's not really dead or alive, and they become fast friends. July wants to protect him from being eaten by the Hungry Ghosts. They soon discover that they were born on the same night, and that only one of them was supposed to live. Their quest to reunite William's spirit with his body will take them to the Underworld and back, and it may require July to sacrifice her life to save him.
Is It Any Good?
Ghost stories have been told for millennia, but this charming book feels special. Author-illustrator Remy Lai creates a world of enchanting magic in Ghost Book, filled with creatures strange and wonderful and just the right amount of spooky. Main character July Chen learns lessons in empathy as she helps her friend William unravel the secrets of his ghostly birth, and how she's always been connected to him. Humor is woven in effortlessly with the creepy. Particularly amusing are the spectral bounty hunters, Horseface and Oxhead, who are obsessed with free dumplings. Fans of anime and manga, and any middle grade reader who likes to get lost in a quirky story full of memorable characters set in a richly imagined world will delight in this story of friendship that endures death.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Ghost Book portrays the afterlife. Is it supposed to be funny, or scary? What does it mean if it's both?
William is incredibly lonely. Why is it important to be seen and acknowledged?
Why won't July's father admit the existence of ghosts? Why do people keep secrets from each other?
July and William encounter and face off with Hungry Ghosts. How do teamwork, courage, and empathy help them survive? Why are these important character strengths?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Remy Lai
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Henry Holt & Company, Inc.
- Publication date : August 15, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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