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63rd out of 106 books
—
9 voters
The Phantom of the Post Office (43 Old Cemetery Road #4)
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR FAN IS A PHANTOM?
The talented trio at Spence Mansion loves getting fan mail. But when a strange letter arrives saying that the end is near, it's clear something sinister is afoot. Even worse, the Ghastly Post Office is preparing to close, which will make it difficult to deliver future ghost stories from 43 Old Cemetary Road. A new technology called V...more
The talented trio at Spence Mansion loves getting fan mail. But when a strange letter arrives saying that the end is near, it's clear something sinister is afoot. Even worse, the Ghastly Post Office is preparing to close, which will make it difficult to deliver future ghost stories from 43 Old Cemetary Road. A new technology called V...more
Hardcover, 136 pages
Published
May 1st 2012
by Harcourt Children's Books
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Oh what a charming book!
For me the most important thing in any work of literary fiction is language. If the narration flows, if the author's style is unique, if the characters have distinctive voices, I can read any novel, even if the plot is flawed (or sometimes non-existent). In the same respect, I have struggled through many supposedly great books that may have been great, but I couldn't tell because I didn't like the language.
Well, "The Phantom of the Post Office" is a linguistic treat. The...more
For me the most important thing in any work of literary fiction is language. If the narration flows, if the author's style is unique, if the characters have distinctive voices, I can read any novel, even if the plot is flawed (or sometimes non-existent). In the same respect, I have struggled through many supposedly great books that may have been great, but I couldn't tell because I didn't like the language.
Well, "The Phantom of the Post Office" is a linguistic treat. The...more
Even better than the last title in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series--Till Death Do Us Bark--this fourth one provides essential background about Seymour Hope's unusual family and their lives in Spence Mansion before beginning the current story. Seymour, an 11-year-old boy adopted by a ghost writer Olive C. Spence, who is literally a ghost, and Ignatius B. Grumply, another writer, are working on their latest literary installment when they start receiving fan mail that seems somewhat threatening. Me...more
Book 4 in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. 4th grade and up for reading; younger for being read to. At one point in the book, all f's in the narrative are replaced by ph's, something younger children might not be able to deal with.
Sal U. Tayshuns, the new Postmaster General, wants to get rid of letters and post offices and replace them with VEXT-mail, a computerized sort of hood and connects electronically with other VEXT-mail "veils." There are mixed reactions among the townspeople of Ghastly,...more
Sal U. Tayshuns, the new Postmaster General, wants to get rid of letters and post offices and replace them with VEXT-mail, a computerized sort of hood and connects electronically with other VEXT-mail "veils." There are mixed reactions among the townspeople of Ghastly,...more
Another funny and clever entry to the series. I love that the phantom of the post office lives in (P.O.) box 5 and all of the other Phantom of the Opera parallels. Of course most kids have not read or seen Phantom, but that's not a problem because Klise's young characters are currently reading the book and make sure we see the parallels. The decision of the USPS to quit postal mail and go to virtual mail will probably not matter terribly much to kids, although I am sure that there are still plen...more
Just like books #1-3, this one doesn’t have any chapters in it. It’s a collection of letters and notes with a few newspaper articles thrown in here and there. You have to figure out who is who and what is going on by reading the letters the characters write to each other and by reading the newspaper articles that report the strange happenings at 43 Old Cemetery Road.
One thing I don’t like in books is when an author TELLS me what a character is thinking. I want them to SHOW me the character by ha...more
One thing I don’t like in books is when an author TELLS me what a character is thinking. I want them to SHOW me the character by ha...more
I love this series! But this one has to be - by far - my favorite one. All of the characters are back, plus some newbies, and they're all good fun. This book had me tear up a bit, especially with the new character's revelation at the end of the book. But what's really fun about this one is how it's all about writing letters.
After reading it I realize how much I miss getting mail - real mail - from my friends. I used to love waiting and receiving a letter to read. Today we send emails and it's n...more
After reading it I realize how much I miss getting mail - real mail - from my friends. I used to love waiting and receiving a letter to read. Today we send emails and it's n...more
This is the first book I've read in the series (it was on our new shelf at the library), and it is so charming! It is written in letters, emails, and newspaper clippings, which is a style of interest to me because of the popularity of "diary" books. The series revolves around three main characters who live in an old mansion, Ignatius (Iggy) Grumply; Seymour, a young boy; and Olive, who is a ghost. They live without modern technology, and Olive writes stories that are solely delivered by snail ma...more
A nice story for earlier middle grade readers. Lots of word play, with fun spellings and creative names for the characters such as Dr. Izzy Dedyet, Postmaster Sue Perstisus, and a host of others. This book continues the adventures of Seymour Hope an eleven year-old boy who lives in the town of Ghastly in an old mansion at 43 Old Cemetery Road, without a telephone, television, or any computer gaming devices. The townspeople have to find a way to keep the post office from being closed down and rep...more
This book is very creatively told through letters and messages and newspaper clippings. It's a mystery and even though there is a ghost (a 'phantom'), it is not scary. An Illinois post office is set to close to make room for a more technologically savvy building called VEXT-mail. The people who live at Spence Mansion start receiving mysterious messages that need solved. We follow the story to discover who the mysterious phantom of the post office is.
This book is good for ages 9 and up.
This boo...more
This book is good for ages 9 and up.
This boo...more
This came as a recommendation because I'm a well known Phantom of the Opera junkie. I read the rest of the series first before this one and enjoyed them very much.
I love the tie-in to the original novel (as well as having the younger main characters actually *read* the book!:) such as P.O. BOX 5 and the phantom moaning the name of Christine from under the post office.
I'm glad that I was introduced to this series. I'm defiantly going to recommended it for younger readers, particularly those looki...more
I love the tie-in to the original novel (as well as having the younger main characters actually *read* the book!:) such as P.O. BOX 5 and the phantom moaning the name of Christine from under the post office.
I'm glad that I was introduced to this series. I'm defiantly going to recommended it for younger readers, particularly those looki...more
Weird...I don't know why this isn't listed as book 4 in the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Anyway, here's the thing - this book is cute and funny just like the rest of them but I'm dubious about the series as a whole because it's hard to see an end to it. Conceivably the authors could just keep coming up with self-contained episodes to keep the series going indefinitely and I think everything should have an end. But, maybe they'll come up with some super-awesome ending and prove me wrong. I guess...more
I love this series. I love the format. In book four, Seymour, Iggy and Olive find their system of delivery threatened when the local Post Office is scheduled to be closed to make way for the futuristic Vext-Mail system. Ordinarily the whole book is written in letters, but we have the addition of text messages and "Vext-Mail Data Recorder Transcripts" in this one. And of course, the wonderful articles from "The Ghastly Times". Pun-filled and delightful, this book tries hard to make the case for t...more
What will happen to the letters when the Post Office closes? This timely book is a great way to educate readers about the post office and it's dwindling place in society, while showing them the sometimes ridiculousness of modern technology. Enter VEXT, the latest techno-gadget that will replace all other forms of communication. With your VEXT veil you can video chat with a friend, watch a movie, and even cook some popcorn in the included microwave. But Olive is completely against this idea and a...more
(4.5 stars)
The art of letter writing is being pronounced dead by many, and the Ghastly post office has been ordered to be demolished. Olive wants letter writing to live on forever as she writes the next part of her story about writing letters back and forth with her best friend Weston. However, recalling all those find memories also digs up painful ones about how many rejection letters she got by mail.
The art of letter writing is being pronounced dead by many, and the Ghastly post office has been ordered to be demolished. Olive wants letter writing to live on forever as she writes the next part of her story about writing letters back and forth with her best friend Weston. However, recalling all those find memories also digs up painful ones about how many rejection letters she got by mail.
I love this book. when i was at school i got a random book and it was the 1 one of this series i got my mom hooked in the story and we both love reading the stories im waiting for the 5th book and my moms finnishing the 2.its because she goes to her friends house while im at school so shes a little bit late reading this book. i startedm this book and finnished it on the 2nd of november
My love for this series just grows and grows. This time the Ghastly Post Office is the star. A phantom is terrorizing the town over the planned closing of the post office. He steals the letter f from the alphabet, strikes Seymour and his new friend Wy with a phantom flu, all the while sending letters of warning to 43 Old Cemetery Road. This 4th book in the series focuses on friendships and of course letters and has a lot to say about the evolution of communication from letters to texting etc. Re...more
I enjoyed this installment of 43 Old Cemetery Road. We learn some more background to Seymour's family, plus we get to meet a few more of the local characters of Ghastly. This is just a cute little series written through letters, newspaper articles, and more. Recommended if the rest of the series has been popular with readers.
I loved this series! In Phantom of the Post Office, the authors poke some fun at technology and how distracting the use of TVs, cell phones and other devices are. Letter writing is so much better! Love the puns and unusual names of the characters. So happy to see a 5th book will be coming out in the series!
The unique family at 43 Old Cemetery Road is back again, & this time, at least some of them are on a mission to show a new generation just how much fun a friendship based on letter writing can be. Although I suspect that at least one of the Klise sisters has a tween begging for a cell phone somewhere, the book does a good job of poking gentle fun at the increasing usage of voicemail, instant messaging, & texting instead of the more old-fashioned methods of communication, & the episto...more
I really love this series. It's so fun! It's too bad they are such quick reads though, because I devour them all at once. This one was a really fun one for book lovers and lovers of the written word in general. Another great fun mystery with ghosts and the rest of the crew at 43 Old Cemetery road. :)
Loved this new addition to the 43 Old Cemetery Road series. Fabulous book. Highly recommend. I still fall for the character names. Wonderful mystery although I was slightly confused with one component, but overall, good new mystery. Fabulous format that I love, never tire of...
That was a fun read. I like this story, the post office will stop being a post office and will become something different, and all the things that happened from that. Flu, more ghosts, a girl stuck to her phone/technology and more! Just wonderful.
If it wasn't for all of the fun illustrations and graphic layout these would beg to be read aloud. The character names are hilarious. Must think of some letter/note/text/VEXT activity to hold in the library. A definite collection purchase for sure!
The nice thing about this book is that it addresses the possibility of the death of the written letter. It tackles texting for kids. It would make for a great discussion with 5th/6th graders. Perhaps next year.
4th book in series continues with the fun of solving mysteries. The reader has only artifacts (letters written back and forth between different characters) to help them determine what is happening in the story.
I love this series. I love the characters, the inventiveness of the plot and the storyline in letters and articles. Very fun story.
Another phantastically phunny one from Kate - with a message thrown in too. Love the connections to the real Phantom of the Opera.
Two of my favorite things - the post office and Phantom! Now I must read the first three books in the series.
Such a fun series! Great for sharing with students...especially to emphasize the art of letter writing.
Nov 16, 2012
Andrea
added it
Not as great as her other 43 Cemetery Road books, but I still love her writing!!!1
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