43 Cemetery Road

I recently read the second book in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series by sisters Kate and M. Sarah Klise. The first in the series is called Dying to Meet You, and is about a boy, Seymour Hope, who moves into a house on 43 Cemetery Road. His parents soon abandon him to go off and tour Europe. He is left alone in the house with Ignatius B. Grumply, who is a grumpy old man. There is also a ghost by the name of Olive C. Spense, who refuses to die completely until the books she wrote while she was living are published. The three strike up a friendship and the second book, Over My Dead Body, continues the tale.

Seymour, Olive, and B. Grumply are writing a book together. Olive and Ignatius co-write it and Seymour illustrates it. But... Alas, someone has written the director of the International Movement for the Safety and Protection of Our Kids and Youth (IMSPOOKY), Dick Tator. Dick Tator believes that all scary books should be burned, that Halloween should be banned, and that, moreover, ghosts are in no way real. He has Ignatius sent to the loony bin and Seymour sent to an orphanage. In the end will Olive, Grumply, and Seymous be able to live happily ever after? Will Seymour's parents go to jail for being terrible parents? Will Halloween be saved? Well, you'll have to read the books to find out for yourself.


I thought this book would be appropriate to review this week since it's set during Halloween, which - - is coming up! Oh my goodness it's October. Wombly will have to think up a costume. But also, it dealt with the idea of book burnings and bannings, which I thought appropriate since last week was Banned Books Week.

What I loved about these two books: the whole narrative is told through letters, and newspaper clippings, and drawings, and audio transcripts, and official documents. One, this makes it a super fast read, Two, it makes the read super fun. And pretty much every single character's name is a pun. As a lover of bad puns, this cracks me up. This series is perfect for Down Unders looking for stories that include mysteries, ghosts, and itching powder.

I definitely look forward to reading the rest of this series!

SO... Before I wish all of you Down Unders a good week, what do you think Wombly should dress up for, for Halloween? What are you going to dress up as?

Wombly trying to dress up as a ghost.

Wombly as a jail warden with keys.

AND... Have a good week Down Unders!