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THE GHOST OF THE FROZEN NORTH
The Stonebridge Ghost Tales (Book I)
2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards Silver Winner for Best Chapter Book Series
In Book II of the The Stonebridge Ghost Tales, Christian Jones Arnook and his mother return to Alaska to gather their belongings before moving permanently into the manor house they just inherited in Indiana. But they do not make the trip alone. They are joined by Jeremiah, Christian's thrice-great grandfather who just happens to be a ghost only Christian can see. When a 150-year-old ghost is exposed to the 21st century, both scary and funny things take place. Is it possible for a ghost to become more than a mere vaporous vision? Christian seems to think so. Not long after arriving in Alaska, Jeremiah is tormented by a voice on the wind. Soon Christian begins to hear it, too. Is there another ghost? If so, what does it want? And what magic does the old Union soldier's hat hold?
THE GHOST OF THE FROZEN NORTH [©2015] The Stonebridge Ghost Tales Book II written by Roberta Hoffer and Illustrated by Madison Gaines | Juvenile Fantasy (Rated G for ages 8-12 and up) 82 pages / 25,000 words (Illustrated) | Available in ebook and print from the DFP Books label of Dragonfly Publishing
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PAPERBACK [EAN 978-1-941278-06-2 | ISBN 1-941278-06-X] 6x9 library trim (82 pages) illustrated | Average Price: $8.99
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READ AN EXCERPT
JEREMIAH looked even whiter than his usual ghostly color.
I wasn't certain, but from the pained look on his face he seemed scared. The ghosts I had read about in books were pale and chalky looking, but in my experience ghosts tended to be more of a vaporous presence. Today Jeremiah had an almost green hue. He looked a bit nauseated to me. Could ghosts could get sick?
"Honest, Jeremiah, it's really not that bad." I was trying one more time to convince him to fly to Alaska with Mom and me. "I flew for the first time only two weeks ago, and I'm okay. I was a little sick when we first took off, but after that it was really cool."
I didn't know whether it was the idea of leaving the estate or the sheer terror of being in the sky that worried him most. Actually, I was surprised that a ghost would be afraid of anything.
"I have seen the machines you call planes as they cut across the sky," Jeremiah said. "I never knew you could actually be inside one while they were up there."
Jeremiah had been born and had died long before airplanes existed. I really hadn't considered that he wouldn't understand what a plane was. I guess Great-grandfather Ebenezer never discussed the option of Jeremiah leaving the estate. Why would he? John, the butler who ran the household, had told me Great-grandfather was kind of a recluse who hadn't left the estate much in the past forty years. Jeremiah's ghostly existence had consisted of maintaining and repairing the old stone bridge on Great-grandfather's property. He had entered the mansion from time-to-time to visit with Great-grandfather and also spent some time in the old house at the back of the property. I don't think Great-grandfather ever considered taking Jeremiah with him anywhere.
Well, I wanted Jeremiah to go with me. I wanted him to experience all the things that have been invented since he died.
"How do the planes stay in the air?" Jeremiah asked, sounding more nervous than inquisitive.
"They have special motors called jet engines with more power than you can imagine," I explained. "They're really very safe and make traveling a long distance much easier."
"What if it doesn't stay in the air?"
"Well, if it crashes you'll be just fine," I said not really wanting to think about that option. "I don't think ghosts can be hurt. On the other hand, those of us who aren't ghosts might have a problem. Come on, Jeremiah. I really want you to go to Alaska with Mom and me. No one will know you are with us and we can have some great fun together. We'll only be gone a short time and Great-grandfather has agreed to keep the bridge repaired while you are away. I actually think he's looking forward to helping you since you've been such a loyal friend to him."
I already knew Jeremiah, so when Great-grandfather's ghost showed up I wasn't too surprised and I definitely wasn't scared. Actually, I was quite happy. Of course, Mom couldn't see either of them. I had already decided to find a way to introduce Mom to our ghostly family, but it would have to wait until we returned from Alaska. Great-grandfather had explained that only the men of the Jones family could see Jeremiah. I wondered why that was, but decided now wasn't the time to get the answers. I figured I'd have plenty of time when we returned.
"It does sound exciting," Jeremiah said, perking up a little.
"You need a vacation," I said.
Jeremiah looked puzzled. "What's a vacation?"
"A vacation is when someone works very hard," I explained. "Then gets to leave his work to go someplace nice and relax."
Jeremiah had been watching over the bridge for nearly one hundred and fifty years. That was a long time to not have a vacation.
"It all sounds very nice, but I'm still not certain I want to leave the estate," Jeremiah replied. "It is all I have known for over a century. Leaving here will be hard for me."
"We aren't going to stay in Alaska," I said. "Mom and I just need to pack up our things for shipping to Indiana. We'll only be gone a few days. Please, Jeremiah."
I could see by the look on Jeremiah's face that he still had a lot of questions. I had to think of something to change his mind. Then I remembered the nasty boys in my school. There were three of them. They were a year older than I was, so they thought they were big stuff. They liked to bully me and my friends. I even had to find a different way home from school just so they wouldn't bother me. If Jeremiah would agree to go to Alaska with us, I'm sure he would be able to find a way to keep the bullies from bothering me and my friends.
"And besides," I added, "I could use your help. There are some boys in my village that aren't very nice to me."
That was all it took. Jeremiah's expression changed immediately. He straightened up, adjusted his uniform, and cocked his hat low on his forehead. "If there are boys being mean to you, then I will go with you to Alaska. If my Great-great-great-grandson needs me, I will be there for you. When do we leave?"
"We leave in the morning," I replied with excitement. "Walter is driving us to the airport where we will board the jet."
Jeremiah's shoulders dropped just a little. "We have to ride in another machine first?"
"Yes," I said, "but it's on the ground. You saw Walter drive Great-grandfather around in his limo many times, I'm sure. It's nothing to be afraid of."
Once again Jeremiah straightened up. "I am not afraid," he said with his chest puffed out. "I will ride in these new machines and I will accompany you to this place called Alaska. I will protect you, Christian Jones Arnook, because you are my family."
At first I was worried that I had insulted him when I said he might be afraid. But I was excited that Jeremiah had changed his mind and agreed to go. He might have been a ghost, but he was proud and he was brave. He had become my new best friend and I didn't want to go without him. There were so many things I could show Jeremiah. It was going to be awesome having him with me. He didn't need a special seat on the plane, because no one could see him but me. Having him travel with us should be easy.
Actually, it could be a lot of fun.
"Who are you talking to?" Mom asked, popping her head through the door of our connecting rooms.
Startled, I jumped a little. "No one, Mom."
"Oh, I thought I heard you talking to someone," she said. "If you're playing a video game, you need to put it up right now and get to sleep. We have a long day of travel ahead of us tomorrow." Mom bent down to kiss me goodnight on the head, but stopped. "Is there a window open in here? It's chilly." She checked the window. It was shut tight. She shook her head as if confused and bent down once more to say goodnight.
Jeremiah was up to his usual tricks and followed Mom around the room. He smiled as he walked next to her. I had a hard time not laughing.
"What's so funny young man?" Mom asked.
"Oh nothing," I said. "I'm just excited about going back to Alaska tomorrow."
I couldn't tell her about Jeremiah and I wasn't really telling a lie. I was excited about our trip.
Mom left the room, turning out the light as she left. I looked over at Jeremiah who was now sitting in the chair across the room. He wasn't hard to see in the dark. His body gave off an iridescent glow. He didn't always do that. It only happened when he wanted me to know he was there.
It was as if he was protecting me already...
[Copyright ©2023 Roerta Hoffer | No unauthorized reproduction or distribution]
READ REVIEWS
"Christian Jones Arnook and his mom Allison are headed home to Alaska to pack up their belongings so that they can begin their new life in Indiana. Christian wants his new best friend, Jeremiah Andrew Jones, his triple great-grandfather, who just happens to be a ghost to come along with him on the trip. Jeremiah is in for plenty of adventure as he encounters all sorts of new experiences on the trip. When they arrive in Alaska Jeremiah starts hearing a voice in the wind and it seems to be drawing him to Allison's old home place. What waits for him and Christian when they finally investigate? THE GHOST OF THE FROZEN NORTH by Roberta Hoffer picks up right were the first book left off. To say that Christian has an unusual family is an understatement! The story of his unusual family and the ties to the Civil War really made this a wonderful read for me, but honestly Christian is a character that boys and girls will relate to. He is a typical boy who is dreading leaving Alaska and his friends behind, but he is also looking forward to beginning fifth grade in Indiana. He has to deal with bullies, homework, the fact that he misses his dad, along with moving away and leaving his friends behind. It was interesting to see how Jeremiah handled all the new things that came his way, and the way that he dealt with the bullies was great! Ms. Hoffer vividly paints a story that pulls the reader in, making them feel like they are actually part of the adventures that take place in the story. From beginning to end the plot never drags,and speaking of ends, Jeremiah reveals something in the final pages that leaves this reader quite anxious for the next installment in The Stonebridge Ghost Tales! A good clean read that will certainly appeal to young readers, but honestly older readers will find themselves drawn into this story as well! I can only hope that Roberta Hoffer is busy writing the next book in this exciting series!"~ reviewed by Brenda Casto for WV Stitcher [FIVE STARS]
SERIES
The Ghost of Stonebridge Lane (I) • The Ghost of the Frozen North (II) • The Ghosts of Stony Manor (III)