The Great Ghost Rescue facts for kids
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First edition
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| Author | Eva Ibbotson |
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| Cover artist | Simon Stern |
| Country | Enited Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan Children's Books |
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Publication date
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1975 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback & Hardback) |
| Pages | 160 |
| ISBN | 0-330-39828-8 |
| OCLC | 59531859 |
The Great Ghost Rescue is an exciting children's novel written by Eva Ibbotson. It was first published in 1975 by Macmillan. This book was the very first novel Eva Ibbotson ever published. The story is all about a friendly ghost named Humphrey the Horrible.
This popular novel was even made into a movie in 2011.
Contents
The Story of Humphrey the Horrible
Humphrey the Horrible is a really nice and kind ghost. This makes him quite different from his very scary family! His mom is a Hag, which is a type of scary old woman. His dad is a Scottish ghost who died fighting in a battle long ago. His brother George is a screaming skull, and his sister Winifred is a ghost who cries a lot and has bloodstains.
Ghosts Lose Their Home
One day, Humphrey's ghost family is forced to leave their castle home. Humans want to turn the old castle into a fun holiday resort. So, the ghosts, along with their headless Aunt Hortensia and their pet Shuk (a ghostly dog), start a journey across England.
They arrive at Norton Castle School, thinking it's an empty castle. There, they meet Rick, a student who isn't scared of ghosts at all! Rick decides he wants to help the ghosts. He plans to take them to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the leader of the country's government. Rick wants to talk about how many ghosts are losing their homes.
Journey to London
The ghosts and Rick travel to London, the capital city. On their way, they meet more ghostly friends. These include Walter the Wet, a ghost who haunts a polluted river. They also meet Cousin Susie and her group of vampire bats. Finally, they meet the Mad Monk, whose church was destroyed to build a busy road.
In London, Rick tries to find his local Member of Parliament, Clarence Wilks. A Member of Parliament (MP) is a person elected to represent people in the government. But Mr. Wilks doesn't believe Rick's story. He thinks Rick is just making it up.
Rick and the ghosts are very angry that Mr. Wilks doesn't believe them. They decide to haunt his house! They ruin a big dinner party he is having with important guests. To make them stop, Mr. Wilks agrees to help them meet the Prime Minister.
Meeting the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is a bit scared but also very understanding. He listens to the ghosts' story. However, he can't promise them a special piece of land just for ghosts.
But then, Lord Bullhaven, who was also at the meeting, offers his land. He says the ghosts can live in a place called Insleyfarne in northern Scotland. The ghosts are super excited and move there right away. Rick goes back to Norton Castle School. He is sad to leave his new ghost friends behind.
A New Danger
It turns out that Lord Bullhaven is not as kind as he seemed. He doesn't like anything that is "unusual." He had gathered all the ghosts in England at Insleyfarne to get rid of them forever! He brings several religious leaders to Insleyfarne to perform a special ceremony to make the ghosts disappear.
Humphrey manages to escape. He is very weak, but he travels all the way back to Norton Castle School. He needs to warn Rick! Rick, his friend Barbara (whose mom is the school cook), and a new boy named Peter Thorne decide to help. They fly to Insleyfarne to save the ghosts.
They get help from Mr. Wallance, one of the religious leaders. Mr. Wallance had agreed to help Lord Bullhaven only because he needed money for his family. But he now regrets his decision. Rick, Barbara, and Peter find Humphrey's mom, the Hag, who is very weak. She tells them how to save the other ghosts. They learn to say Latin spells backward and use dried wormwood to help the Shuk's tail.
Victory and New Adventures
The ghosts celebrate their survival and their victory over Lord Bullhaven with a big party. They rename Humphrey "HUMPHREY THE HEROIC" because he was so brave. They also call Rick "RICK THE RESCUER" for saving them.
The party is interrupted when Lord Bullhaven crashes his car and comes back as a ghost himself! Rick asks the other ghosts to offer him a safe place to stay.
Rick, Barbara, and Peter go back to their school. Rick is quiet and thoughtful. Barbara then tells him about the problems polar bears are facing in Alaska. And just like that, Rick starts planning his next big adventure!
See also
In Spanish: The Great Ghost Rescue para niños
