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Jump to navigationJump to searchThe Christmas Eve Ghost by Shirley Hughes (view source)
Revision as of 14:28, 5 November 2010
, 14:28, 5 November 2010no edit summary
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|title=The Christmas Eve Ghost
Bronwen and Dylan live in the poor part of 1930s Liverpool. Their mam takes in washing to make ends meet, and often has to leave them alone whilst she's pushing the big old pram full of washing to the part of the city where the well-off people live. They're under strict instructions to have nothing to do with their neighbours, the O'Rileys. Then, on Christmas Eve, when they're alone, Bronwen and Dylan hear a ''plonk, plonk, plonk'' and are sure it's a ghost...
Is there any book fan who doesn't love Shirley Hughes? Not us. We adore her - and ! We've been looking forward to ''The Christmas Eve Ghost'' since she mentioned it in fact are still really excited that we got to our [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Shirley Hughes|interview with her last year]]! ''The Christmas Eve Ghost'' . It has everything you'd expect from her: a gentle pace, but with depth and heart by the bucketloads, lashings of atmosphere, and a keen eye and ear for childhood. It's beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, and will immediately become a firm favourite - not just for reading at Christmas, but throughout the year.
As it draws on her memories of growing up in Liverpool, ''The Christmas Eve Ghost'' is as much about the overall experience as the story itself. An old way of life, the divisions between rich and poor and between religions, of community, of hardship, even just the excitement of what a mangle was for - all add to the atmosphere. It's all just utterly delightful, never mawkish or overly sentimental, and cries out to be read and shared.
