Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Insightful, moving graphic novel of sisters facing fears.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 3 parent reviews
Based on 24 kid reviews
Kids say the book is an engaging graphic novel that balances emotional themes of death and illness with a kid-friendly narrative, making it suitable for children, especially those dealing with family challenges. Many appreciate the beautiful illustrations and educational value related to traditions like Día de los Muertos, while opinions on the writing quality and the story's originality vary, with some calling it a letdown compared to the author's previous works.
- kid-friendly
- emotional themes
- educational value
- beautiful illustrations
- mixed reviews
- engaging characters
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
At the beginning of GHOSTS, Catrina's family moves to the coast of Northern California. The cool, wet air in Bahia de la Luna is good for her sister Maya's cystic fibrosis, but Catrina is unhappy and misses her friends. The town seems creepy, especially once a neighbor boy, Carlos, starts telling the sisters about the ghosts that haunt the place. Maya is excited by the thought of meeting a ghost, but Catrina grows increasingly anxious and sad. In the wake of a medical emergency, Catrina must decide how to face her fear of mortality, for Maya's sake and her own.
Is It Any Good?
With a light touch and a sensitive ear, this absorbing graphic novel explores issues of mortality and the possibility of life after death. Ghosts shows two sisters' different reactions to the supernatural, and the feelings of both girls are treated with respect. Author-illustrator Raina Telgemeier works her illustrative magic on both the fantastic and the mundane aspects of her story, rooting the spectral antics in a realistic setting that's both mysterious and inviting.
Ghosts advocates living life to the fullest, no matter what lies beyond it, and young readers are likely to respond well to the book's generous heart and true-to-life characters.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the characters in Ghosts deal with the notion of death. How do holidays like the Mexican Day of the Dead help people cope with the loss of their loved ones?
What kinds of changes do families make when one of the members faces a chronic illness? What strategies do the characters in Ghosts employ to help Maya stay well with her cystic fibrosis?
How do various religions and cultures view the possibility of an afterlife? How do the various characters in Ghosts react to the notion of ghosts?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Raina Telgemeier
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Holidays
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Graphix
- Publication date : September 13, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 256
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : December 3, 2025
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