A not-too-spooky ghost story about middle school changes, friendships, and self-growth.
Tommy “Stix” Hart is anxious about starting middle school. He’s been working with a therapist about his
panic attacks, though, and he’s comforted because the boy who bullied him in elementary school will be attending a different school. He can also still count on his best friend Grady (who has two moms), and on his own mom, now single after a divorce.
But Grady soon starts to make friends with another boy, and Stix isn’t sure he’s still welcome. Then he runs into a new boy who reminds him of his old bully—and who turns out to be a ghost. He’s one of three former students from decades ago who are haunting the school until they each settle unfinished business. Stix, it turns out, has the ability to see ghosts, and agrees somewhat reluctantly to help them.
Stix then finds himself lying to Grady for the first time rather than vainly trying to explain the ghosts that only he can see. As a way of excusing the time he’s spending with the ghosts, he tells Grady he’s signed up for the school talent show—but Stix, despite years of practice with his drum teacher, Mr. Garcia, has always been afraid to play in front of an audience.
Stix attempts to help the ghosts while also navigating friendships, the return of his nemesis from elementary school, and his nerves about the upcoming show. We see him gradually finding his rhythm, however, both literally and metaphorically, as he navigates these threads. Author Lisa Schmid weaves in light themes about self-confidence and about learning to understand the reasons behind people’s behaviors, leaving room for redemption.
Although Grady’s moms are not a key part of the plot, another queer relationship between two women is. It involves spoilers, so I’ll say no more except that it also offers a nice nod to how queer equality has advanced in recent years.
While this is a middle grade novel, Stix’s age and the engaging illustrations by Carolina Vazquez skew it towards the early end of that age range. It’s a fun tale for those who like ghost stories and should offer encouragement to readers who are also hesitant about what middle school may bring.
Stix and two of the ghosts read as White, and one ghost and Mr. Garcia as Latino. Another friend of Styx’s is South Asian.
