The Ghost of Thomas Kempe facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Penelope Lively |
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| Illustrator | Anthony Maitland |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novel, supernatural fiction |
| Publisher | Heinemann (UK) E. P. Dutton (US) |
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Publication date
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26 March 1973 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover & paperback) |
| Pages | 156 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | 0-434-94894-2 (US) |
| OCLC | 673929 |
| LC Class | PZ7.L7397 Gh |
The Ghost of Thomas Kempe is a low fantasy novel for children by Penelope Lively, first published by Heinemann in 1973 with illustrations by Anthony Maitland. Set in present-day Oxfordshire, it features a boy and his modern family who are new in their English village, and seem beset by a poltergeist. Soon the boy makes acquaintance with the eponymous Thomas Kempe, ghost of a 17th-century resident sorcerer who intends to stay.
Lively won the annual Carnegie Medal from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book by a British subject.
Characters
- Major characters
- James, the main character
- Mrs Harrison, James's mother
- Mr Harrison, James's father
- Helen, James's sister
- Tim the dog
- Thomas Kempe, the poltergeist who troubles James
- Minor characters
- Simon, James's friend
- Bert, the local handyman who tries to deal with the poltergeist
- Mrs Verity, an old lady whom Thomas Kempe accuses of being a witch
- Arnold, a Victorian boy who experienced the ghost before James
- Aunt Fanny, Arnold's aunt
- Mr Hollings, James's teacher
- The vicar
- Julia, Helen's friend
Themes
An interest in history, the passage of time and local change is a running theme in the work of Penelope Lively and can be seen in many of her books. Beside Mr Kempe from the 17th century, this story involves both a 20th-century resident of the cottage and the history of the surrounding countryside.
Adaptations
In 1978, a film was made based on the novel, which aired on the ABC Weekend Special, a showcase for a variety of different films aimed at children. The film was re-broadcast many times over the years, and has had several releases on home video, and is currently hosted on YouTube. The book was also read on BBC's Jackanory. In 1977, a radio play version was aired over a number of weeks on Australia's ABC radio. In 1978 the book was adapted as a radio play by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
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| Awards | ||
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| Preceded by Watership Down |
Carnegie Medal recipient 1973 |
Succeeded by The Stronghold |
