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Tartan Magic #3
The Bagpiper's Ghost
While in Scotland visiting relatives, thirteen-year-old twins, Peter and Jennifer, find big trouble while hunting for ghosts in an old cemetery when Peter is possessed by the spirit of a man who is determined to keep his twin sister from the man she loves. 12,500 first printing.
129 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
152 people want to read
About the author
Jane Yolen
984 books3,240 followersJane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 17, 2019
A haunted ghost from the past - something only the twins can help with.
March 2, 2017
Jane Yolen’s The Bagpiper’s Ghost
The White Lady’s ghostly presence draws twins Jennifer and Peter to the graveyard at midnight, which is a “white night” — the short, not completely dark, summer nights of the far north. (The things I learn by reading). Confronting the twin ghosts and a heart-broken piper requires all their courage and intelligence, and the powerful connection of “twin magic.”
I looked up “harling” of stone to protect it and found proof of the wisdom of crafts of old.
I also found myself agreeing with Pop that porridge also has magic. One can’t fight without energy, so I have some nearly every morning. This is third in the wonderful series, which I recommend for ALL ages because it’s that good!
The White Lady’s ghostly presence draws twins Jennifer and Peter to the graveyard at midnight, which is a “white night” — the short, not completely dark, summer nights of the far north. (The things I learn by reading). Confronting the twin ghosts and a heart-broken piper requires all their courage and intelligence, and the powerful connection of “twin magic.”
I looked up “harling” of stone to protect it and found proof of the wisdom of crafts of old.
I also found myself agreeing with Pop that porridge also has magic. One can’t fight without energy, so I have some nearly every morning. This is third in the wonderful series, which I recommend for ALL ages because it’s that good!
August 14, 2014
When Jennifer, her twin brother Peter, and their family go to Scotland to visit their grandparents they know they’re in for sightseeing and adventure, but magic? They never would have guessed at that. Magic, it seems, is wrapped up in the very fabric of the Scottish town they visit, and Jennifer has a way of bringing it out. In each book Jennifer and Peter encounter a different type of magic: an evil wizard who’s been bound within a map, an ancient child wrapped up in the history of an ancient battle, and ghost, a lady in white who’s searching for her lost love. The magic is as exciting as it is scary and can be raised simply by going for a walk or by playing a game of cards. And the talking animals? It’s anyone’s guess as to whether they’re a help or a hindrance.
These books are the absolute best sort of summer reading. Jennifer and Peter are on an adventure with their family, but their parents conveniently disappear for most of the important bits of the story, leaving the twins to solve their problems on their own. They’ve got a magical advisor in Gram, as she’s a witch, and a little sister to care for, which adds to the tension. There’s just the right amount of information about Scotland and its history to pique your interest and loads of new vocabulary to try (with a glossary in case you can’t quite sort it out from context). Best of all, there are three books in the series, so you’re not disappointed by being finished reading when you’re just getting to know the characters.
These books brought to mind the books of Edward Eager and E. Nesbit. They have the same sort of feeling of adventure, and the children have the same responsibility to set things right. They are more playful and less dark and involved than Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, but something of Jennifer and Peter’s relationship with Gram and their parents brought to my mind Uncle Merry and the characters in Over Sea Under Stone. In fact, Tartan Magic might be a good series to lead up to these others. Though the Scottish words raise the reading level of the text, these middle grade books are short (about 150 pages) and so would be good for reluctant readers or those who might be overwhelmed by a large book. These are great for middle grade summer reading or to add to the stack when the school year starts and 20 minutes of reading a day rules prevail.
These books are the absolute best sort of summer reading. Jennifer and Peter are on an adventure with their family, but their parents conveniently disappear for most of the important bits of the story, leaving the twins to solve their problems on their own. They’ve got a magical advisor in Gram, as she’s a witch, and a little sister to care for, which adds to the tension. There’s just the right amount of information about Scotland and its history to pique your interest and loads of new vocabulary to try (with a glossary in case you can’t quite sort it out from context). Best of all, there are three books in the series, so you’re not disappointed by being finished reading when you’re just getting to know the characters.
These books brought to mind the books of Edward Eager and E. Nesbit. They have the same sort of feeling of adventure, and the children have the same responsibility to set things right. They are more playful and less dark and involved than Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising series, but something of Jennifer and Peter’s relationship with Gram and their parents brought to my mind Uncle Merry and the characters in Over Sea Under Stone. In fact, Tartan Magic might be a good series to lead up to these others. Though the Scottish words raise the reading level of the text, these middle grade books are short (about 150 pages) and so would be good for reluctant readers or those who might be overwhelmed by a large book. These are great for middle grade summer reading or to add to the stack when the school year starts and 20 minutes of reading a day rules prevail.
November 20, 2011
The Bagpiper's Ghost
By: Jane Yolen
Citation:
Yolen, J. (2004). The bagpiper's ghost. Harcourt Children's Books.
Genre: Science Fiction
The twins, Peter and Jennifer are in for the surprise of their life when they visit their grandmother in Scotland for the summer. They contain magic within their bodies and it is awakened when they arrive in Scotland. Their grandmother is teaching them to use their magic and the twins get into some mischief that could cause Peter to be gone forever.
Critique:
A. The area for critique is the setting.
B. The author set the story in Scotland. And the narration by the characters provides a good insight into proper Scottish English. The young twins are in for the vacation of their lives when they visit their grandmother in Scotland. This is the third book of the series so I was a bit lost when I first began reading it but I was quickly able to catch up. The twins awaken some ghosts and are in for some trouble when one of the ghost take over Peter's body. This is completely magical and the book speaks of magic often throughout.
C. The dog in this story talks as humans do. Only those that have magic within them can hear it. Another example of magic within this story is that Andrew MacFadden took over Peter's body and the sister, Jennifer and her Gran had to work their own magic to rid Peter's body of this spirit. Also, at one point, the Gran uses a magic spell to cover up the boy and the horse walking down the street.
Curriculum Connection:
I would use this story for a novel to read in fourth or fifth grade English. The story is completely fictional but is fun to read.
By: Jane Yolen
Citation:
Yolen, J. (2004). The bagpiper's ghost. Harcourt Children's Books.
Genre: Science Fiction
The twins, Peter and Jennifer are in for the surprise of their life when they visit their grandmother in Scotland for the summer. They contain magic within their bodies and it is awakened when they arrive in Scotland. Their grandmother is teaching them to use their magic and the twins get into some mischief that could cause Peter to be gone forever.
Critique:
A. The area for critique is the setting.
B. The author set the story in Scotland. And the narration by the characters provides a good insight into proper Scottish English. The young twins are in for the vacation of their lives when they visit their grandmother in Scotland. This is the third book of the series so I was a bit lost when I first began reading it but I was quickly able to catch up. The twins awaken some ghosts and are in for some trouble when one of the ghost take over Peter's body. This is completely magical and the book speaks of magic often throughout.
C. The dog in this story talks as humans do. Only those that have magic within them can hear it. Another example of magic within this story is that Andrew MacFadden took over Peter's body and the sister, Jennifer and her Gran had to work their own magic to rid Peter's body of this spirit. Also, at one point, the Gran uses a magic spell to cover up the boy and the horse walking down the street.
Curriculum Connection:
I would use this story for a novel to read in fourth or fifth grade English. The story is completely fictional but is fun to read.
October 9, 2013
Just before solstice eve, Gran's talking dog persuades Jennifer and Peter to follow him into the graveyard at midnight. During the day, they tour the cemetery to get the lay of the land before their midnight visit. When the town's clock tolls noon, the dog begins an unearthly howling. The last note of the bell sounds like the final note of a bagpipe. When Jennifer inspects the grave stone on which the dog was sitting, she finds the name- Mary MacFadden. That night, as the bells toll midnight, Mary MacFadden’s ghost rises out of her grave. A Scottish soldier appears at the graveyard gate playing “Ye Take the High Road” on the bagpipe. It soon becomes obvious that Mary and the Scotsman were lovers separated by war. Suddenly, Peter’s countenance changes, and he begins talking in a thick Scottish brogue about Mary and her lover. Jennifer realizes that their midnight visit has spun dangerously out of control. Andrew MacFadden, Mary’s twin brother, has taken possession of Peter’s body. Gran and Jennifer have 24 hours to find a way to make Andrew give Peter back or Peter will cease to exist. As they work on a solution, it becomes clear that the dog knows more about this then he's telling.
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February 23, 2014The Bagpiper's Ghost by Jane Yolen is a book about a girl and a boy named Jennifer and Peter, 13 year old twins visiting their Grandparents in Scotland, where magic is everywhere. Gran has a talking dog that leads them on an adventure through a haunted cemetery. He introduces them to a ghost known as Lady in White. The love of her life didn't come back from war, her brother lied to her so the 3 ghosts are unsettled. The brother, Andrew MacFadden, possesses Peter and takes control of his mind and body. Jennifer and her Gran, along with the dog, have to solve the mystery of the ghosts to get Peter back.
Jennifer is the hero of the book in my opinion. She is a smart girl who comes to realize how much her twin brother needs her, and how much she needs him. She embraces the magic in Scotland instead of fearing it and through the magic she discovers what Lady in White's love left for her before he died. The Bagpiper's Ghost is a good mystery that will entertain the reader with a talking dog that speaks with a Scottish accent that really makes you feel as if you are in Scotland.
Jennifer is the hero of the book in my opinion. She is a smart girl who comes to realize how much her twin brother needs her, and how much she needs him. She embraces the magic in Scotland instead of fearing it and through the magic she discovers what Lady in White's love left for her before he died. The Bagpiper's Ghost is a good mystery that will entertain the reader with a talking dog that speaks with a Scottish accent that really makes you feel as if you are in Scotland.
May 26, 2016
Clearly written for a young audience, this quick read seems like it might be a bit eerie for kids, not to mention the theme of separated lovers is not going to be of particular interest to most pre-teens... On the other hand, I have a feeling I read this a couple decades ago and was no worse for the wear. Serviceable, easy read with lots of Scots-Gaelic in all it's unreadable glory. Will probably fascinate some kids. I'm going to give it to an 11-year-old I know and see what she thinks...
July 3, 2009
Jennifer and Peter are twins. And while visting their grandmother in Scotland they learn there is magic in their blood and that things happen around them. It leads to dangerous adventures. This is the third in the Tartan Magic series. It was a cute story with tragic ghosts and fun characters but I felt it was too short. Like the story wrapped up too fast.
October 11, 2013
This book was really short, and it has a simple vocabulary. It was really predictable, and it had a relatively unoriginal plot. All that aside, it was well-written. I think it should have been longer with a more complicated plot.
May 1, 2024
I feel like these haven't aged as well as I would have hoped.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews