The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick

Wolff, Christina  and Kemp, Ruth Ahmedzai (Translator)
The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick 

March 4, 2025 by Arctis

Copy provided by Edelweiss Plus

Mia is excited to be spending her school holiday with her Aunt Harriet in London while her father and mother travel to the US to promote their shoelace business. The aunt runs the family's Pandora's Antiques store that was run by her deceased grandmother, Pandora. There are some odd things that occur that make Mia think that her aunt is keeping a secret, and some tension between them when Harriet doesn't really acknowledge that Mia is adopted and has questions about her parents. When Mia goes in search of the source of noises in the middle of the night, she meets some ghosts, and Harriet finally admits that the antique shop is really a front for the ghost placement agency that she runs. Since many castles and grand estates in England change hands and are sold to wealthy celebrities who don't want ghosts, she find other homes for them. Some ghosts, like Jim, who is an ancestor, and Alistair, a young boy who prefers to live in the shop, stay around for a while, but others, like Olivia who shape shifted and scared Mia, are sent to other locations. Alistair starts to teach Mia to see ghosts at other times than just the witching hour (midnight), even though he tells her not to let Jim know, since he wouldn't approve. Mia hears whispers that she must be protected, and feels that there are still secrets that she doesn't know. When an invitation arrives to a ghost birthday at the house where Alistair was raised and died, Mia decides to slip into the ghost realm and attend. While there, family secrets are revealed, and Mia has to decide whether or not to use the powers that she has. 
Strengths: This had some British charm to it (although it was originally written in German), and some mainly friendly ghosts, so I would have loved this when I was in fourth grade or so. The shop is interesting, and there are some mysterious elements involved. Mia has plenty of opportunities to be on her own, since her parents are away and Harriet doesn't ask too many questions. 
Weaknesses: My students are only interested in ghosts who murder people in rather gory ways, but I would consider this for an elementary library where gentler ghost stories are popular. 

What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed the magical shop aspect of James' The Bookwanderers or the London paranormal aspects of Shearer's The Ministry of Ghosts.