Oscar, the Apprehensive Apparition - H.R. Sinclair

-

Author: H.R. Sinclair

Illustrator: H.R. Sinclair
Genre: Children's Fiction
Rating: 3.5 stars.

A chapter book about a scared ghost. You read that right… not ‘scary’… ‘scared’.

Oscar is a ghost who lives alone in an abandoned house and is quite afraid of the dark. One night, he receives a mysterious letter asking him to come to the old cemetery to collect a package. Oscar is jittery. However, he knows it is rude to ignore a note, so he decides to go. Along the way, he encounters some pretty scary moments with what he presumes to be monsters but who turn out to be innocent creatures. When he finally reaches his destination and realises who sent the note and why, he realises that being brave had been a good choice and that he should give himself more credit for showing courage even when he was scared.

This is a sweet story because of its lead character and the various animals he encounters on his journey. The lesson that is brought up at the end is also worthwhile. Oscar is a cute fellow and I enjoyed how he did right even though he was quaking with fear.

The story is written in chapter book format, with there being four chapters spread across about 40 pages. While the content leaves a few things unexplained, children will still enjoy Oscar’s nocturnal adventure. There are B&W illustrations scattered throughout the story and they add to the fun.

As the title indicates, the vocabulary level in the content is on the higher side. The introductory page does reveal the meanings of ‘apprehensive’ and ‘apparition’ from the title, but there are plenty of difficult words in the content, such as nefarious, prospector, levitate, wraith, and many more. Considering that this is aimed at children aged 5-8 years, I do think that the vocabulary level should have been toned down a bit. Having a few new words in a story is fine, but based on the ‘Five Finger Rule’ for reading, this book might go beyond the recommended limit for its target readers.

On the whole, a nice effort at putting forth a “realistic” story about a ghost. While the story is about a nervous ghost, it shows how being scared doesn’t mean being cowardly.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through ‘StoryOrigin’ and these are my honest thoughts about it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Explore more posts from this blog:

Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales - Catherine Cawthorne - ★★★★★

-
Image
AUTHOR: Catherine Cawthorne ILLUSTRATOR: Sara Ogilvie GENRE: Children's Nonfiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 25, 2024 RATING: 5 sparkly, scientifically accurate stars. In a Nutshell: This book and I were a match made in book heaven! Loved the approach that combines humour and logic to debunk the sillier elements of some fairy tales. Strongly recommended! I enjoy fairy tales. I love scientific thinking. I adore logic. I relish humour. Seeing all four of these together in a single work was almost a “bookgasmic” moment for me! 😆 Had the book not delivered on any of these factors, I might still have been happy reading it. But the content not only reaches but also surpasses the promise made by the title and cover. All of us know that there are several logically impossible elements in fairy tales. In childhood, we might have oohed and awwwed at the stories without overthinking the practicalities. In adulthood, we might have cringed at the gender bias, wealth bias, and the lack of conse
Read More»

Stormy Normy Finds His Forever Home - Leisa Fail - ★★★.½

-
Image
AUTHOR: Leisa Fail SERIES: The Adventures of Stormy Normy, #1 GENRE: Children's Fiction, Animals. PUBLICATION DATE: March 25, 2024 RATING: 3.5 stars In a Nutshell: A children’s chapter book about a young brumby horse named Stormy Normy. The author certainly knows horses! Recommended to young animal lovers looking for a sweet and easy-going story. Plot Preview: Outback Queensland, Australia. Young Stormy Normy was born, as his name suggests, on a stormy night. As his mother and he are returning to their herd, Stormy gets distracted and enters a farm with many horses. His mother, realising that he will have a better life there than in the wild pack, leaves him there with a heavy heart. Thus begins Stormy’s life, where he learns to navigate tricky situations, make new friends, and realises whom and how to trust. The story is written in Stormy’s first person perspective, with two brief interludes from his mother’s point of view in third person. I am not really a horse person, being
Read More»

Takeout Sushi - Christopher Green - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Christopher Green GENRE: Contemporary Short Story Collection, Japanese Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE:  May 2, 2024 RATING: 3.9  stars. In a Nutshell: An interesting collection of stories, with most of them set in Japan. Loved the writing style and enjoyed the diverse emotions. Much recommended! This story collection has, as the title suggests, a strong Japanese flavour. So let me begin by confessing that I am not a fan of Japanese literature. Most Japanese fiction that I tried hasn’t suited my reading tastes, so I generally keep away from this genre. The reason I picked this collection up is... No, no, the sushi had no role to play in my decision; I can’t stand even the thought of sushi! The reason I wanted to read this is that the author is NOT a Japanese! 😁 I know this sounds quite silly to declare, but had the author been Japanese, I would have resisted opting for this. But by virtue of his being an “outsider”, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a look at Japan witho
Read More»

Making Up the Gods - Marion Agnew - ★★★★.¼

-
Image
AUTHOR: Marion Agnew GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2023 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: An indie drama with some quirky characters and a great setting in Lake Superior, Canada. Mellow in tone, genuine in content, thought-provoking in themes. I enjoyed this unusual novel. Plot Preview: Simone, almost 70, is a retired widow who lives an isolated life in her cottage on the banks of Lake Superior and still misses her husband, though he’s been dead for five years. While she is now active in her local church and finds solace in baking for those grieving, she is fiercely protective of her privacy. But when the local reverend asks her to take care of nine-year-old Chen while his widowed mother goes on a much-needed trip, Simone finds it tough to refuse a fellow-mourning widow. Just before Chen arrives, a stranger named Martin knocks at Simone’s door, claiming to be her cousin. Simone is suddenly handling two strangers at once, and she worries that they will dis
Read More»

Red Runs the Witch's Thread - Victoria Williamson - ★★★★

-
Image
  AUTHOR: Victoria Williamson GENRE: Historical Fiction, Horror. RATING:  4 stars. In a Nutshell: A psychological horror inspired by the last witch burning in Scotland in 1697. A disturbing yet compelling read. I wanted more closure at the end for my own peace of mind, but other than that, this was a satisfying book. Recommended! Plot Preview: 1722. Paisley, Scotland. Thirty-seven-year-old widow Christian Shaw is obsessed with perfecting her thread bleaching process. She wants to make the thread the purest white, so it can sell better and restore their family fortunes. In the absence of any male family members, it is up to her as the eldest daughter to ensure the security of their house, her mother and two younger sisters, and her late father’s social position as the laird (landowner.)  However, Christian’s mind is troubled. With the 25th anniversary of the witch burnings of 1697 approaching, Christian’s thoughts go frequently to the past, and to the role she played in the burning of s
Read More»