Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost! - Softcover

Cornelia Funke is the internationally acclaimed, bestselling author of The Thief Lord, Dragon Rider, and the Inkheart trilogy, along with many other chapter and picture books for younger readers. She lives in Los Angeles, California, in a house filled with books.

Kikrus
Intrepid veteran Hetty Hyssop, her young amanuensis Tom and their moody, slime-oozing
spectral associate Hugo nearly meet a fiery doom in this smoothly translated import, the second
episode of four originally published in Germany. Responding to the summons of a seaside hotel's
manager, the Ghosthunters expect to find only a minor fire ghost to snag–but are instead confronted
by a huge GILIG (see title), a spirit so powerful that The Big Ghost Encyclopedia warns readers to
avoid contact at all costs. Standing fast as the hotel takes heavy damage and guests flee in terror (some
of this last, to be sure, caused by Hugo's pranks), the Ghosthunters discover the GILIG's weakness
just as they're about to be turned into ash, and the day is saved. Funke closes with a manual for
prospective ghosthunters, plus an elaborate taxonomy of ghostly types, from ASG (Averagely Spooky
Ghosts, which is Hugo's category) to FOFUG (Foggy Fug-Ghost). Replete with both spooks and with
comically cluttered illustrations, this will win many new fans. (Fantasy. 9-11)

SLJ
Gr 3-5–In this sequel to Ghosthunters and the Incredibly Revolting Ghost (Scholastic, 2006), the phantom-fighting team is summoned to the remote Seafront Hotel to deal with another case of otherworldly mischief. The clues–hot water, steam, and sulfurous odors–seem to indicate the presence of a harmless Fire Ghost, but when Tom and Hetty Hyssop try to tackle the sizzling spook, they discover that there is a much more dangerous entity involved. Then Seafront guests begin disappearing, and the duo realize that they are outmatched. Only the third member of the crew, Hugo, an ASG (Averagely Spooky Ghost), has the occult skills to battle the sinister Lightning Ghost before it incinerates the hotel–and everybody in it. The Ghosthunters are delightfully diverse: nine-year-old Tom is a cool-headed, cautious type; Hetty is a feisty, no-nonsense senior citizen; and complaining, pouting, ego-tripping Hugo is a reluctant contributor but always comes through in the end. Much of the humor is conveyed through crisp, lively dialogue and dramatic scene descriptions. While the team's off-the-wall techniques are generally played for laughs, there are also some genuinely scary moments. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations add to the fun. A winning combination of chills and chuckles.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL