  | Full Text Reviews: Bulletin for the Center... - 11/01/2011 The Bonhoffen family, who have happily run the combination of amusement park and circus that is Gribblesea Pier for years, find their livelihood threatened when villainous developer Lucien B. Crook and his crony the mayor seek to evict them and tear down the increasingly dilapidated pier. Then twelve-year-old Aurelie Bonhoffen learns a family secret: at their deaths, the Bonhoffens have the option of returning to life if they choose, albeit a life with some ghostly attributes, and her two favorite uncles did in fact make this choice after a car accident initially claimed their lives years ago. With the assistance of new friend Rufus (the mayor’s son) Aurelie develops a plan to save the pier, but Crook grows increasingly more determined. Will the Bonhoffens prevail? With a little supernatural help, they just might. This Australian import, set in England, offers lovers of light supernatural fare a quickly paced, skillfully plotted yarn, and while the characterization isn’t always deep, the charm and verve of Aurelie, Rufus, and (especially) Aurelie’s uncles will easily smooth over any shortcomings. Like Rufus, tween readers will also easily relate to the bullying Aurelie takes at school for being different (hard to avoid in the line of work her family is in), while they will be bolstered by her resilience and by her pride in her unique skills and her eccentric but loving family. Young fans of Eva Ibbotson will take to this like a ghost to a haunted house. JH - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. School Library Journal - 11/01/2011 Gr 3–6—In this charmer of a ghostly adventure tale, Aurelie Bonhoffen celebrates her 12th birthday on Gribblesea Pier, the amusement park that has been in her family for generations. She learns of another family legacy: the Bonhoffens can choose to return from death, only once, as ghosts. The Gribblesea Pier has been a town staple for as long as anyone can remember; now it is in danger of being demolished to make way for a new and profitable development if Mr. Crook has his way. He strong-arms the town's mayor, Mr. Bog, into following through with his plans and the two go so far as to have the town's Child Welfare Society take Aurelie from her home. In her new home, she meets her Uncle Rolo's long-lost love and sets in motion the events that will bring all things to a satisfying conclusion. Abela weaves a good old-fashioned tale, replete with evil money-grubbing villains and an independent heroine who battles injustices at school and on the home front. The friendship that develops between Aurelie and the mayor's son is a wonderful exploration of being true to oneself and avoiding peer pressure. This fast-paced, engaging, and charming story has echoes of Jeanne Birdsall's "Penderwicks" (Knopf) and some Dickensian elements, but in the end this is just a finely executed story of family and friendship and the ties that bind a community.—Mary Beth Rassulo, Ridgefield Library, CT - Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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