Bibliographical information:

Pratchett, Terry. Johnny and the Dead. 1993. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.

Book 2 in the Johnny Maxwell triology. Sequel to Only You Can Save Mankind.

Brief summary:

Living with his grandfather as his parents try to work out their marital difficulties, Johnny Maxwell becomes interested in the old cemetery he passes on his way home from school. Then he discovers that he can see and talk to the dead. He also learns that the town council is planning to sell the cemetery to a company that wants to put up an office building. He and his friends try to stop the project. Meanwhile, they're intereacting with the dead and engaging in Pratchett-style slapstick.

Comments:

While this is a funny book, it includes some serious musings on friendship, kindness, time and the importance of history. Johnny's friends joke around a lot, but they also look out for one another. I liked both Only You Can Save Mankind and Johnny and the Bomb slightly better than Johnny and the Dead.

Grade/Age level:

Grades 4-7

Cautions:

Children spooked by ghosts may find this book scary, but for the ghosts aren't especially frightening. When one of Johnny's friends expresses reluctance to enter the cemetery at night becuase it's full of dead people, he responds that every one is dead at some point.

If you like this book, you might also like . . .

Only You Can Save Mankind, Johnny and the Bomb, The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, Un Lun Dun

--Lisa Gordis

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