Jennings, Richard W. Ghost Town.
Houghton Mifflin/Clarion/Graphia/Kingfisher 2009 167p 16.00
978-0-547-19471-4 ms/hs
Spencer is the last kid living in Paisley, Kansas, after all the other families leave town to move to Kansas City. Discovering his late father’s old camera, Spencer changes his life radically when he embraces photography, with the help of his imaginary friend. This book reminded me of Daniel Pinkwater’s work ... with the same mix of reality, fantasy, and wry humor. The writing is sublime, and the story is quite sophisticated, with many references to current issues (outsourcing, the economy, etc.). Since there are references to sex toys (very brief) and nymphomania (the 15-year-old neighbor bares her breasts to Spencer), I would say this book is for grades 8 and up. Kennedy, Carol
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