Welcome to Spook School - where lessons include learning how to fly, walking through walls and making objects move! Charlie's not all pleased to find himself at Spook School - he spent quite enough time at school when he was alive! But soon he proves himself to be a pretty impressive spook and is invited to join the Spook Squad, who are sent down to earth to investigate strange and spooky goings on. First on the list is the deadly Mothman, rumoured to be the size of a horse, with really sharp claws and a very bad temper.
"One of the sweetest laugh-out loud funny stories I’ve had the honour to read in recent times. Charlie’s voice is so true and funny that I felt I knew this little guy immediately … it slightly challenges younger readers and repays them with an engaging story, and laugh out loud shenanigans. A lovely book which will definitely stay on my bookshelf." My Favourite Books
I rubbed my eyes and stared. Something was floating towards me.
It was a hand.
‘Whoah,’ I gasped.
I’d just woken up. I hadn’t a clue where I was. It was too dark to see much. And now I’d been joined by a hand.
The hand started flying around me.
‘Hi there hand,’ I squeaked, ducking out of the way.
To my great surprise the hand answered. ‘Ooops, sorry. Now whatever you do, don’t be frightened,’ it said.
‘Oh, of course not,’ I said to myself: ‘I’m in a weird place, with a talking hand for company – no reason to be frightened whatsoever.’
The voice went on. ‘Get ready for the rest of me.’ The next moment a second hand appeared then some legs and a body.
‘How’s that?’ said a voice. It sounded quite proud of himself.
‘Very good,’ I gasped. ‘It’s just you’re missing a head.’
‘Oh, I’m always forgetting that.’ The voice laughed and I sort of laughed too.
Seconds later a face oozed up out of the darkness. A friendly face too, belonging to a boy who looked about my age. He had smiley, brown eyes and a big grin.
‘I thought it would be less scary if you saw me in stages,’ he explained.
‘Er, seeing a floating hand was pretty scary actually,’ I said. And then I burped loudly. I always do that when I’m nervous.
‘Sorry about that.’
‘No worries,’ he said cheerfully. ‘I’m Lewis.’
‘And are you …?’ I whispered the last word, ‘a ghost.’
He grinned. ‘That’s what some people call us. But we prefer to be called spooks. It sounds much cooler, doesn’t it?’
‘I suppose it does,’ I said grinning too. ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m really dreaming this – you seem so real. It’s the best dream I’ve had for years. So tell me Lewis, what’s it like being a ghost, sorry spook?
‘It’s just brilliant,’ he began. ‘You get to float through doors and make things appear out of nowhere.’ But then he started shaking his head. ‘No, I’m doing this all wrong. But this is my first time as a welcome spook and I totally forgot to tell you ...’