Alissa and the Castle Ghost

Stardust Classics

by Jillian Ross

SOFTBOUND - GLUED BINDING - 105 PAGES - ILLUSTRATIONS

Genres: Middle Grade

90 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Sarah Ortinau · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a childhood classic!!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book about Alissa from the Stardust Classics series. The Alissa books are about the adventures of a ten-year-old girl who is the princess of Arcadia, a Medieval fantasy kingdom.

Alissa and her new lady-in-waiting, Lia, must take dull history lessons with Sir Drear, who is the steward of Alissa's father, the king. Sir Drear's lessons are very boring, and Alissa hates them. However, during a lesson in the portrait gallery, she notices a new painting she has never seen before. Sir Drear refuses to talk about it, so Alissa asks many of the people around the castle about the portrait. She learns the man in the painting is Sir Grendon, who was Sir Drear's grandfather, and the steward to Alissa's great-grandfather. However, during a time of tragedy in Arcadia, he apparently fled, abandoning his responsibilities to the people. Alissa feels there is more to this story and determines to uncover the truth.

This was a good second book in the series. I'd recommend it to young girls who enjoy fantasy stories about castles and royalty, as they are sure to enjoy it. They will especially relate to Alissa and her dislike of lessons and love of adventure, and the mystery will keep them turning the pages.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the Alissa books, but the premise is much darker and more tragic than I appreciated as a child.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery and storyline were pretty interesting!