Jimmy Stone is not your typical fifth grader, yet he is someone we can all relate to. Jimmy has known a great deal of tragedy in his short life so far. His little-sister-to-be never came home from the hospital with his mom and dad and one day his mom went to the same hospital and never came home. His Grandma also went away one day leaving Jimmy alone with an increasingly abusive dad and a loyal dog named Trex. Worst of all, Jimmy’s dad moved them to rural Pennsylvania (or boredssylvania as Jimmy likes to call it) and a new school where Jimmy has become the latest target of the local bullies, the Coogan Boys. Then one day, the unthinkable happens – Jimmy makes a friend. David turns out to be not just any friend, however, as he was once tormented by the Coogans and helps Jimmy avoid them. Things start looking up for Jimmy until the day he, David and Trex discover something impossible and weird in the woods behind Jimmy’s house – a glowing tree that leads the trio to Ghost Town and their ghost guide, Gasp and an ominous prophecy targeted at Jimmy:
“Seven things you must find. One thing for each day. Seven things you must find. Or else they all will pay!”
Scott Neumyer’s debut novel may be aimed at young readers, but it is readable at any age. I really enjoyed this book and that may be because my own grade school experience made Jimmy Stone easy to relate to. As kids we have all felt the outsider or alone at one point and we all wished that we could disappear to somewhere magical. For Jimmy, that literally happens and thus begins a quest unlike any other. This is the first book of, presumably, a seven part story and by the time you reach the last page you will be fully engaged and wishing the second book was already available. Neumyer writes with an effortless style that immediately pulls you into the story and never lets go. Any seasoned author would hope to write as polished a book as this, but as the first published work of a writer it is pretty outstanding. It is a quick read, in the sense that you will not want to put it down and is rich with fully realized characters and a very fun story. This book is also perfect for sharing as a family and a great way to start family story time as a new tradition in your house. I highly recommend Jimmy Stone’s Ghost Town and you can pick it up for the introductory price of 99 cents for your Kindle or Nook right now.