Ghost Girl

Starred review from November 1, 2003
Gr 5-8-April Sloane is called "ghost girl" because of her white-blonde hair and light eyes. She feels like a ghost because since the accidental death of her younger brother a year previously, her mother has fallen in to a deep depression and never seems to see her any more. The 11-year-old lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains and has never attended school, so when she learns that President Hoover and his wife are building one nearby, she is thrilled. However, her mother flatly refuses to let her go, until her grandmother, Aunt Birdy, intervenes. April is an eager student and loves her teacher, Miss Vest, but her mother soon pulls her out and rejects all appeals-from April, Aunt Birdy, and Miss Vest. Then, April's secret about her brother's death comes to light, resulting in a two-year estrangement between the girl and her parents, only somewhat healed when Aunt Birdy falls ill and dies. During those two years, April lives with Miss Vest and realizes that the future is waiting for her. There are many novels out about the lives of mountain children, but this excellent portrayal of four important years in a girl's life rises to the top. Based on a real school and teacher, this novel seamlessly incorporates historical facts into the narrative. April is an engaging character, always eager to learn but also struggling with her desire for her mother's approval. A first-rate purchase for all libraries.-Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA

Copyright 2003 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2003
Gr. 5-8. When President Hoover sets up a one-room schoolhouse in the mountains of rural Virginia during the Depression, 12-year-old April Sloane is thrilled at the chance to learn to read. But her bitter mother blames her for the accidental death of April's little brother in their cabin and refuses to allow the girl to attend school. With the help of her grandmother and an inspiring, supportive teacher, Miss Vest, April does get to go to school--and she finally learns to read by making a wish list from the Sears, Roebuck catalog. To do that, she must first overcome her guilt and wrench herself from home and from her angry mother, who is locked in grief. In a long afterword, first-novelist Ray fills in the fascinating historical detail about Hoover, the mountain school, and Christine Vest. But it's the local family story that will haunt readers, especially since there's no patched-on happy solution to the poverty, anger, and sorrow.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2004
Eleven-year-old April's isolated life in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains changes when President and Mrs. Hoover start a school in her community. April hopes to learn to read and, above all, get to know the vibrant, sophisticated young teacher, Miss Vest. Ray's debut novel (based on the letters of the real Christine Vest) is poignant, realistic, and somber, and reflective of the strength April finds within.

(Copyright 2004 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)