Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck

Ghosts I Have Been, Richard Peck, 1977

My favorite quote: “The truth is too much for some people and too little for others.”

Notable characters: Blossom Culp, the girl who sees ghosts; Alexander, her friend and partner-in-crime

Most memorable scene: Blossom’s visions of the sinking of the Titanic

Greatest strengths: It’s historical flavor 

Standout achievements: The prose is surprisingly beautiful. It pulls you right along the same way good poetry does

Fun Facts: After cutting his teaching career short to be a writer in 1971, Richard Peck went on to write and publish a book every year for the next 41 years

Other media: N/A, although the first book in the Blossom Culp series, The Ghost Belonged to Me, was adapted into a film of the same name in 1976

What it taught me: A good book is a good book, regardless of its intended age-group or audience. I appreciated story as much in my thirties (if not more) than I would have in grade or middle school

How it inspired me: Peck is one of those authors who makes me want to be a better writer myself. His prose is both simple and pretty … and make no mistake, that’s not easy

Additional thoughts: I would have loved this book as a kid, and I remember seeing it around a lot at school, but somehow, I never got the chance to read it. I even managed to check it out at the library once, but for reasons I don’t remember, it just never happened. So, when I got older, I figured I owed it to my childhood self to track it down, and I’m glad I did. I loved it so much I bought every book in the series … and as many of Peck’s standalones I could get my hands on … and they’re all pretty awesome 

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Haunt me: alistaircross.com