The Ghosts facts for kids

The Ghosts is an exciting fantasy novel for children written by Antonia Barber in 1969. It was so good that it was nominated for a special award called the Carnegie Medal. Later, in 1972, the book was made into a movie called The Amazing Mr Blunden, starring Laurence Naismith as Mr. Blunden and Diana Dors as Mrs. Wickens. This story is about two children who discover a mystery from the past and try to help some friendly ghosts.

What is The Ghosts About?

The story begins when an old lawyer named Mr. Blunden visits Mrs. Allen, a widow living in Camden Town, London, with her three children: Jamie, Lucy, and a baby. Mr. Blunden explains that his law firm is looking for someone to take care of an old, empty country house. The house needs a caretaker until the original owners' family can be found.

The Allen Family's New Home

While Mrs. Allen is out of the room, Mr. Blunden quietly tells Jamie and Lucy that some people say the old house is haunted. He hints that ghosts might not always look scary. Sometimes, they could appear as ordinary people, even children like them. He also suggests that these ghosts might need help. Jamie and Lucy bravely say they wouldn't be afraid and would try to help if they could. Before Mrs. Allen returns, Mr. Blunden leaves. He gives Jamie an old card for his firm, Blunden, Blunden and Claverton, and tells Mrs. Allen to call them.

The next day, the Allens visit the firm, but it's called Blunden, Claverton and Smith. The lawyers there are surprised Mrs. Allen knows about the job, as it hasn't been advertised. Still, they are happy to have found someone for the caretaker role, even with the rumors of ghosts. Soon, the Allen family moves into the caretaker's cottage at Langley Park. Lucy explores the big, old house. In the attic, she thinks she hears faint voices. A cleaner from the village confirms they are just the voices of ghostly children and nothing to worry about.

Meeting the Ghosts

One morning, Lucy is picking flowers in the garden. Suddenly, she feels a strange, heavy feeling, and a blackbird sings a warning song. Her eyes can't focus, but she sees two see-through figures walking towards her through a mist on the lawn. She gets scared, screams, and runs to Jamie. They go back together to investigate. Everything seems normal until they both feel the strange heaviness and hear the blackbird's repeating song. The two figures walk towards them through the mist. As they get closer, they become solid. They are a young girl and a younger boy.

Jamie and Lucy are relieved to meet what seem like ordinary children, even though their clothes look old-fashioned. After talking for a few minutes, they notice something strange: the newcomers don't cast shadows on the sunny path!

A Dangerous Plan

The new arrivals are Sara and Georgie Latimer. They explain that they aren't ghosts in the usual way. They have come from 100 years in the past, when they lived at Langley Park. Their guardian, Uncle Bertie, is an irresponsible man who has fallen in love with a performer named Bella Wickens. Bella's mother, Mrs. Wickens, and her father have moved into the house as housekeeper and caretaker.

However, Mrs. Wickens has a terrible plan. She wants to harm Sara and Georgie so that Uncle Bertie will inherit the family's money. The money is currently held in trust until Georgie becomes an adult. Sara and Georgie learn about Mrs. Wickens's scheme. They try to tell their family lawyer, a Mr. Blunden, about the danger. But Mr. Blunden reacts badly and locks the children away.

Traveling Through Time

One night, something magical happens. Sara and Georgie are led to the house's library. There, they find a book with a special recipe for a charm called 'A Charm To Move The Wheel of Time'. By making and drinking this potion, they can travel through time to find help. Sara and Georgie ask Jamie and Lucy to come back to their time to help them escape their dangerous fate. Jamie and Lucy agree, though Lucy is a bit more unsure than Jamie. Sara gives them the recipe for the charm and arranges to meet them the next day. Then, she and Georgie disappear back into the past.

The next day, in the local cemetery, Lucy and Jamie find Sara and Georgie's grave. They feel sad and disheartened. The cemetery caretaker tells them the children died in a fire that destroyed the house. Despite this sad news, Jamie and Lucy make the potion and go to meet Sara and Georgie as planned.

Saving Sara and Georgie

Only Sara is waiting for them. Georgie has upset Mrs. Wickens and is locked in the cellar. Sara is eager to get back to him. At that moment, Mr. Blunden arrives. This is the spirit of the Mr. Blunden who ignored Sara and Georgie's pleas long ago. He has suffered because of their deaths and now has a chance to make things right. He promises Jamie and Lucy that he will keep them safe in the past. He says any pain will be suffered by him. Sara confirms that she has forgiven Blunden. She also knows about her grave in the churchyard. Jamie and Lucy drink the potion. The world swirls and turns black.

They find themselves back in Sara and Georgie's time, 100 years in the past. Mr. Blunden tells them that, for a while, things must happen as they did before. But when the time is right, he will appear and help Jamie and Lucy save Sara and Georgie. Indeed, things do progress as they did. Mrs. Wickens drugs the children, and they fall asleep. Mr. Wickens then starts a fire in the library, which is below the nursery where the children are.

Tom, the gardener's boy, tries to rescue them. He manages to climb up the outside of the house to the nursery window. By now, the fire is raging. Jamie cannot get into the house from below to help. Just as he is losing hope, Mr. Blunden appears. He takes Jamie by the hand and leads him through the flames. Jamie feels nothing, but Mr. Blunden is clearly suffering. He is feeling both his own pain and Jamie's, along with the guilt of 100 years.

Tom, Sara, and Georgie escape the burning house. But as Jamie tries to leave, he becomes trapped. Lucy stands outside, crying for Mr. Blunden to help him. The world around her swirls and blackens. She finds herself back in her own time. Searching the ruins of the house, she finds Jamie, unconscious.

The Big Reveal!

Some time later, with Jamie still ill, Lucy goes to church. Afterward, she walks through the cemetery. There, instead of the small stone marking Sara and Georgie's grave, she finds a tall granite memorial. It is for Mr. Frederick Percival Blunden, who died to save the children in his care 100 years ago. They did it! They saved Sara and Georgie!

Lucy returns home. Her mother tells her that Jamie is awake. She runs to his room, and the two talk about their amazing journey to the past. When Jamie is well, the family gets a visit from one of the lawyers at Blunden, Claverton and Smith. It seems they have found the true owners of the house. Jamie and Lucy are sad, thinking this means they will have to leave. But the lawyer explains that Sara Latimer married Tom, the gardener's boy, and they moved to America. Georgie inherited the house. It turns out that Sara's daughter married a man named Allen. This means that the true owner of the house is actually Jamie! Sara was their great-great-grandmother. Jamie runs off to explore the grounds again, now as their owner. Lucy goes upstairs to the attic. She hopes that now she belongs to the house, she will finally understand what the voices of the ghosts are saying.