Twelve-year-old Ollie Oxley is moving — again. His mom is starting another new job, this time at the Bingham Theater in Granite City, California. Moving all the time means Ollie has struggled in the making friends department, but he quickly connects with a boy named Teddy. To Ollie’s surprise, though, his first friend in town is a little more… unique than those he’s made in the past. Teddy is a ghost.
Befriending someone who lived during the famous California Gold Rush sure does make things interesting for Ollie. But when the school bully, Aubrey, targets Ollie, and it looks like the Bingham Theater might close, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Can Teddy and Ollie work together to take down Aubrey, save his mom’s job, and solve a mystery years in the making?
Title: Ollie Oxley and the Ghost – The Search for Lost Gold | Author: Lisa Schmid | Publisher: North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press | Pub. Date: 18 – June – 2019 | Pages: 184 | ISBN13: 9781631632891 | Genre: Paranormal Mystery | Language: English | Triggers: None | Rating: 5 out of 5 | Source: Received from Netgalley for review consideration
Even as an adult sometimes you just need to reach for something that you know (or at least hope) will be a fun, simple adventure with a good, wholesome ending. A talented author can bring an adult reader as much joy with a middle-grade book as they can someone in the intended age range simply because a good story doesn’t know what an age-range is. This is a good story.
I reached for Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for the Lost Gold partly because the name reminded me of the kid’s phrase “Olly Olly Oxen Free”. It sort of instantly transported me back in time and I had to pick it up. I was very glad I did. It is a well-told story with a very average little boy (apart from his ability to see ghosts) who is stuck moving from place to place with little to ground him. Being the new kid over and over again sucks, but Ollie is used to it by this point. However, things are a little bit worse this time (pink house is just the beginning!) and with the supernatural involvement? Eesh. It’s tough being a kid!
Well-paced, with believable dialogue and a story that reminds adults of the belief and hope they had as a kid, this is a story to enjoy reading with your kiddo. Or simply one that you can pass to your child knowing that they are going to get a good story out of it. I rooted for Ollie the entire time and left the story with a smile on my face.
Mystery, adventure, mischievousness all combine to make a thoroughly pleasing reading experience. Put Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for the Lost Gold on your list.
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Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for the Lost Gold can be found via Goodreads
Lilyn G is the founder of Sci-Fi & Scary, and leader of the Coolthulhu Crew. She does book and film reviews for both genres the site focuses on. Her tastes run towards creature features, hard science fiction, and lots and lots of action. She also has a soft spot for middle-grade fiction that rears its head frequently.
Though no longer involved with Ladies of Horror Fiction due to other responsibilities and a too-full plate, she was one of the original 4 co-founders.
Feel free to chat her up on Twitter as long as you aren’t hitting her up to review your book.
I do enjoy books for young readers and this sounds like such a fun adventure.