A Ghost Named Wanda

February 1, 1997
Gr 3-5-Zack is a normal 10-year-old boy with a knack for getting into weird situations. In Wanda, he attempts to rid his apartment of a rude eight-year-old poltergeist who communicates by spelling out words with peanut M&Ms. In Litter Box, he plans to adopt a kitten but instead acquires a cantankerous talking cat that claims to be the reincarnation of his great-grandfather. He sees his reflection in the Medicine Cabinet mirror and falls through into a skewed world that its inhabitants consider much "cooler" than ours. An electrical accident occurs at school and Zap!-Zack can hear thoughts, including a bloodthirsty voice expressing an eagerness to kill. The stories have a whacked-out, off-the-wall humor that is reminiscent of the work of Daniel Pinkwater. At the same time, they neatly poke fun at the conventions of popular horror series. Kids will find some of the episodes tremendously funny. Great-Grandpa the cat threatens to "take a leak" on the sofa if Zack doesn't provide him with his preferred food (herring with sour cream!); Wanda and a fellow ghost yank down a bully's pants. The books are short without looking babyish and would appeal to reluctant readers as well as those with a taste for oddball humor.-Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL

January 1, 1996
This lightweight supernatural fare has more originality than most assembly-line series books. 'Great-Grandpa's in the Litter Box' sports the most unique plot of the bunch, with its cigar-chomping stray cat who claims to be the reincarnation of Zack's great-grandpa Julius. But the others are odd and entertaining enough to keep readers dedicated to the affable fifth grader while 'weird stuff follows [him] around like a puppy.'

(Copyright 1996 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)