By Colorado Kids Advisory Board member Emily Walters

Title: The Ghost Behind the Wall
Author: Melvin Burgess
Illustrator: (none)
Publisher: Henry Holt and company LLC
Number of Pages: 164

BOOOOOOOOOO! Do you believe in ghosts? Is there really an afterlife waiting for us? The book Ghost behind the Wall by Melvin Burgess tests your thoughts on phantoms and the after effects of life. In this book twelve-year-old David lives in an old apartment complex in London with his dad. David's father usually works late so David spends his time after school in front of the TV. Until one day when David sits moping about when the old ventilation system "calls to him". David the daring boy that he is first goes in to play tricks on people. Stealing shoes, pretending like he is a invisible spirit that sort of thing. Until one day when David meets a ghost he ends up in an old man's apartment playing tricks to entertain the ghost, but the trick goes to far. When David is caught in the act he ends up befriending the old man. David ends up telling him about the ghost and listens to how Mr. Alveston (the old man) doesn't want to live to 100 and is sick of living his lie in the pathetic state that he does. When Mr. Alveston is hospitalized for an unexplained injury David desperately needs to find how the ghost can get Mr.Alveston what he is yearning for.

I would give this book five out of five star. It completely unexplainably twists into a surprising ending making the book more and more interesting as it goes on. I would recommend this book for older and more mature readers. You defiantly want to get The Ghost Behind The Wall! (December, 2003)