The Ghost Dog

Where was I? I didn't like this place. I wanted to be away from here. And then I caught a glimpse of something, the tree which was bent double. Here it was, looking more sad and pathetic than ever. And beside it were all the stones. The stones which were supposed to mark the dog's grave. I must be back in the old churchyard, only I couldn't make out anything else. I coughed again. The mist seemed to be getting into my lungs. Then from out of nowhere came this howling noise. The same howling we'd heard that night at the churchyard. Only this time it sounded much louder. I peered around. I was being watched…

Effortlessley tapping into the powerful themes of children's' imaginations, Johnson conjures a brisk and readable story with just the right level of chills and shivers to keep the reader hooked. The idea that the Ghost Dog might not be real and is in fact a representation of something else going on in Dan's life keeps up the mysterious pretence and when all is revealed, the situation turns out to be quite different to that imagined by both Dan and the reader.

This is a fun, pacy read that children will devour and parents and teachers will find themselves getting engrossed in too. The power of imagination is a central theme, and will no doubt encourage a few storytelling sessions among its young readers. It's also nicely pitched, being a perfect read-alone book for children of eight and above who want something a little more intriguing and substantial than the latest Goosebumps book. (Age 8 and over.) --Jonathan Weir