September 2, 2025 by Storytide
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Barnaby Vargas is not happy that he has to spend three weeks of his summer in the beach community of Sunnyside, helping his grandfather pack up his home so that he can move in with Barnaby's family. He would rather stay at home so he can hang out with friends and play Warricane Five. Instead, his mom, dad, dog, and "perfect" younger brother Leo are staying in the Morgan House. At least he has a room to himself in the attic, although that ends up being haunted by Maxwell Warner, who passed away under suspicious circumstances in 1984. Maxwell is even unhappier than Barnaby is, and keeps tripping up the interloper, demanding that he leave. Since this isn't possible, the two decide to help each other out. Barnaby will investigate what happened to Maxwell so that he can move on, and Maxwell will leave him in peace. They first ask neighbor Anita, an older Black woman who knows Barnaby's grandfather, if she knows anything. She gives them an address for Maxwell's parents, but this leads only to the realization that both died in a car crash years ago. When the landlord of the rental property, Mr. Morgan, keeps popping by because he is selling the property, the search for answers becomes more urgent. Plans to sell the property to Blue Spoon Betty's cookie shop means that Maxwell will no longer have a place to live. Mr. Morgan and his family have had the city council in their pocket for a long time, and the community is being changed in unpleasant, corporate ways, including the demolition of the Grand Seabird Hotel. Anita's house is on the historic register, but she doesn't really want a shop next door. Barnaby thinks briefly about trying to get the Morgan House on the register, but time is short. He makes a plea to the council, and sees how wily Mr. Morgan is. Is it possible that he poisoned Maxwell in an attempt to silence Maxwell's father? As their time runs out, Barnaby invites Maxwell to live with his family since he can't locate his own, and this is enough to finish his business on earth and release his spirit.
Strengths: Ghosts aside, I'd love to spend time in Sunnyside! Middle grade students often have grandparents who need help, so it made sense that Barnaby and his family had to spend time helping his grandfather clean out his house in order to move in with them. I really enjoyed Leo's character; even though Barnaby bristled at Leo's perfect demeanor, the two got along and worked well together. The research into Maxwell's family came to realistic dead ends, and it was interesting to see the city council process. The brief glimpses into the grandfather's life were endearing, and I would have loved to see more of him.
Weaknesses: I was really hoping that somehow that Barnaby would soundly defeat Mr. Morgan, and that the Grand Seabird Hotel would remain open and the Morgan House would not become a shop. Of course, this is unrealistic, but consuming a lot of middle grade literature made me expect that Mr. Morgan would end up in jail for the forty year old murder. That's my fault, not the books, which has a much more touching and realistic ending.
What I really think: This is a good choice for children who prefer friendly ghosts, like those in Jones' Sauerkraut, Iriarte's Benny RamÃrez and the Nearly Departed, or Uhrig's The Polter-Ghost Problem.
Barnaby Vargas is not happy that he has to spend three weeks of his summer in the beach community of Sunnyside, helping his grandfather pack up his home so that he can move in with Barnaby's family. He would rather stay at home so he can hang out with friends and play Warricane Five. Instead, his mom, dad, dog, and "perfect" younger brother Leo are staying in the Morgan House. At least he has a room to himself in the attic, although that ends up being haunted by Maxwell Warner, who passed away under suspicious circumstances in 1984. Maxwell is even unhappier than Barnaby is, and keeps tripping up the interloper, demanding that he leave. Since this isn't possible, the two decide to help each other out. Barnaby will investigate what happened to Maxwell so that he can move on, and Maxwell will leave him in peace. They first ask neighbor Anita, an older Black woman who knows Barnaby's grandfather, if she knows anything. She gives them an address for Maxwell's parents, but this leads only to the realization that both died in a car crash years ago. When the landlord of the rental property, Mr. Morgan, keeps popping by because he is selling the property, the search for answers becomes more urgent. Plans to sell the property to Blue Spoon Betty's cookie shop means that Maxwell will no longer have a place to live. Mr. Morgan and his family have had the city council in their pocket for a long time, and the community is being changed in unpleasant, corporate ways, including the demolition of the Grand Seabird Hotel. Anita's house is on the historic register, but she doesn't really want a shop next door. Barnaby thinks briefly about trying to get the Morgan House on the register, but time is short. He makes a plea to the council, and sees how wily Mr. Morgan is. Is it possible that he poisoned Maxwell in an attempt to silence Maxwell's father? As their time runs out, Barnaby invites Maxwell to live with his family since he can't locate his own, and this is enough to finish his business on earth and release his spirit.
Strengths: Ghosts aside, I'd love to spend time in Sunnyside! Middle grade students often have grandparents who need help, so it made sense that Barnaby and his family had to spend time helping his grandfather clean out his house in order to move in with them. I really enjoyed Leo's character; even though Barnaby bristled at Leo's perfect demeanor, the two got along and worked well together. The research into Maxwell's family came to realistic dead ends, and it was interesting to see the city council process. The brief glimpses into the grandfather's life were endearing, and I would have loved to see more of him.
Weaknesses: I was really hoping that somehow that Barnaby would soundly defeat Mr. Morgan, and that the Grand Seabird Hotel would remain open and the Morgan House would not become a shop. Of course, this is unrealistic, but consuming a lot of middle grade literature made me expect that Mr. Morgan would end up in jail for the forty year old murder. That's my fault, not the books, which has a much more touching and realistic ending.
What I really think: This is a good choice for children who prefer friendly ghosts, like those in Jones' Sauerkraut, Iriarte's Benny RamÃrez and the Nearly Departed, or Uhrig's The Polter-Ghost Problem.
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