Scare B'n'B

Scare B'n'B by Catherine Doyle is one of the most amusing books I have read in a long time. So much so, I am quite excited to know that it is the first book in a new series. Packed to its cobweb-coated rafters with ghostly antics and wickedly spirited humour, Tartarus Hall, soon to be hotel, is the setting for this fabulous laugh-aloud story, which will no doubt appeal to a wide audience.

Featuring a blended family, Catherine Doyle's characters, both living and ghostly, are brilliantly observed. Ted, who by his own admission is a coward, and a bit of a nerd, and Frankie, who loves playing pranks on her new stepbrother, will need to work quickly to foil the mischievous Duke of Snoring's plans.

'Overhead the lights flickered and then went out. Ted froze. 'Was that you?' 'Of course not. I'm standing right here.' There was a tremor in Frankie's voice. He could see the whites of her eyes in the dimness . . . Ted found the switch just as a soapy sponge came flying through the air. It bounced off his cheek as he spun around. 'Hey!' he said, at the exact same time as Frankie . . . 'I can't believe you opened fire on me like that!' she fumed. ‘Where is your sense of honour?' 'I didn't.' Ted swiped the other offending sponge off the floor. 'You threw this one at me!' 'Did not!' She tried to fling her sponge at him now, and missed.

Like all young siblings it's not surprising that Ted and Frankie spend most of their time bickering; however, once they realise that the devious Duke is planning to destroy their parents new venture, they join forces to rid the hotel of its ghostly sitting tenants.

Scare B'n'B is a hilarious battle between the living and dead, and while the title may lead some young readers to worry that it may be too much, it really is far more spooky than scary! This book would be ideal for a keen, newly independent reader, or equally suitable for a reluctant supported read; with stroppy ghost Lady Arabella quietly trying to frighten Frankie's elder, rather smelly, brother Luke out of 'her bedroom' and the eternally saturated groundskeeper kidnapping the Poonami Princess, baby Hazel, readers of all ages will be gripped.

Silliness aside, this book is not only an amusing page turner, but it also raises several interesting questions for discussion: Why, for example, do Ted and Frankie not tell their parents about the ghosts? Or what is it that stops Luke from helping Ted and Frankie on their mission? There are also some fabulous opportunities to discuss and extend vocabulary, with words such as: nefarious, soothsayer and corporeal, to name a few. All of which are effectively used without distracting the reader from the storyline. The illustrations are 'spooktacular', too! Rachael Dean's sketches really bring the story to life; the Duke's moustache is most impressive!

In all, Scare B'n'B by Catherine Doyle is a brilliantly written, heartwarming tale of family and fun, with a sprinkling of ethereal naughtiness and I, for one, can't wait for my next visit to Tartarus Hall.

288 pages / Reviewed by Sam Phillips, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Advance notice! Popular author Catherine Doyle returns with a new hilarious adventure series based on the spooky goings on in a Scottish hotel. The marriage of their parents forces step sibling 'frenemies’' Ted McKinley and Frankie Stark, to call a truce on their hatred for each other and team up against the resident ghosts. Led by the Duke of Snoring, the unwanted phantoms are intent on stopping the hotel renovations which are disturbing their spooky solitude - and the fun begins.

This middle grade story guarantees primary-aged readers a page-turning, humour-filled story with spooky and silly moments of reading entertainment. The plot balances creepy moments alongside lots of laughter so despite the excellent title, Scare B'N'B is not a horror story, rather an addition to the humour genre for children to enjoy. And best of all, publisher Bloomsbury has already announced a follow up, Scare B'N'B: Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun for the autumn, so readers can enjoy the further ghostly adventures of Ted and Frankie.

The illustrations by Rachael Dean are complimentary to the story and the excellent cover will be a definite choice for the school library Halloween display next year and dynamic shelving in the meantime. Highly recommended fun, adventure book suitable for middle grade students in key stage 2 and 3 (ages 8-12 years).

288 pages / Reviewed by Ruth Cornish, school librarian

Suggested Reading Age 9+