Boo the Library Ghost

by Becky Paige

Boo the ghost spends his days haunting the local library and scaring everyone away. But little Poppy thinks she may know why Boo is acting so scary, and she knows just how to fix it!

The library is haunted! Beware of the ghost!
Frightening children is what Boo loves doing most.
The library is Poppy’s favorite place to go but it’s haunted by a ghost named Boo who loves to frighten visitors away. Boo casts eerie shadows, rips out pages, and knocks books off the shelves. However, brave Poppy refuses to leave—she just wants to read in peace! Poppy soon realizes why Boo is acting out and she knows just how to help him. Boo the Library Ghost is an adorable picture book that follows one rambunctious ghost who really just wants to learn how to read. Poppy is there to teach Boo how to read and soon enough he becomes the friendliest library ghost around! This sweet story is the perfect read all year long and is a celebration of the joy of reading and a love of books.
 

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Ghosts, Childrens, Holiday, Storytime, Books About Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published July 16, 2024

Reviews

[Stay Fetters · Rating 3 out of 5]

"He wanted to join her, but he was afraid. So instead he growled loudly and kicked a lampshade."

I'm currently working at a Library and we have a ghost named Cynthia. She likes to make a lot of noise, push books off the shelf, and even stare at you as you try to work. While some may think that it's bizarre, we think it's a lot of fun. All Libraries should have a cute and friendly little ghostie!

This book was cute. Some of the rhyming was a tad bit off but it doesn't hold back from this turning any frown upside down. Kids young and older will love Boo and his Library!

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boo is super-bad news for the library - haunting the stacks, terrorizing patrons, and crashing and banging all the books to the floor. Then rabid reader Polly comes along and discovers the reason behind Boo’s hullabaloo. Sweet, rhyming, Halloween-themed, library and learning-to-read story.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so cute. The rhyme scheme was well-done, and I loved Boo’s character arc. He learns what books are for and destroys them nevermore.

Anddd I’m still here just awaiting my existential chance to be a library ghost.

[Jaret Ferratusco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This endearing little spooky tale by Becky Paige calls to the realm a delightful divining of the inner spirit, at once old as time and fresh as crisp Autumn leaves on the October wind. Concerning the maudlin tale of a haunted library and a persistent Constant Reader, we are brought into author Becky’s world amidst spiders and dust, only to discover, on the other side of the great beyond, a grave magnetism toward the written word. And also, once no longer left to wander in purgatory, a respectful observance for the joy of reading.

I plan on getting a handful of these as holiday gifts for bookworm friends. It deserves a place on many a haunted shelf.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Core concept is ok, but I didn't care for the cartoony illustrations, the awkward rhyme, or the preachiness. (Neither did my inner child.) When my youngest didn't learn to read when his teachers & I expected him to, this would not have helped to encourage him.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh I'm mixed on this one. I'm not sure I'm a fan of the "reading will transform you into a new, calmer person" narrative, and the rhyming was so forced. But it was cute and would definitely work for library story time. Certain to be popular, but really just okay.

[Laynara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my son and he absolutely loved it and it brought a huge smile to his face. He loved how easily it flowed and rhymed.

[McKenna Deem · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

A spookily adorable read about the power of books and libraries!

[Julie Abu Hassan Vogeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had to cleanse my brain after reading John Saul’s The Devil’s Labyrinth (awful awful book) and little Boo the Library Ghost was the perfect read..

Beautiful illustrations and very cute characters with an amazing storyline especially for book lovers..a perfect 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️🌟🌟 read..

[Mia Rader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good little book. It would be great to read aloud and would teach kids a lot about library etiquette.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars--Super cute, not-too-spooky book will be a perfect library or classroom read-aloud during the Halloween season.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5!!!!!!

[Teresa Biggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boo is a library ghost who scares the patrons and messes up the library until a young reader discovers he can not read and she teaches him The story is great and the illustrations are good too

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute storybook with a nice rhyming pattern and great illustrations. It’s about a ghost that terrorizes a library and a brave young girl who asks the ghost to keep it down so she can concentrate on her reading. After a few interactions with the ghost she learns he is treating the library poorly because he doesn’t know how to read. She teaches the ghost and pretty soon he is the best library patron there is - even reading to other kids!

[Desiree Disedare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story on becoming a reader and finding a love for books.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing fancy here, just an adorably spooky picture book about a ghost who learns to read.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boo, the library ghost, scares away patrons, rips up library books, and overturns furniture.

Boo, the Library Ghost, terrorizes the library and frightens away all the children until he meets a girl who refuses to let Boo disrupt her reading. She realizes that his behavior is a reaction to the shame and frustration of not being able to read, she and sets about teaching him to read. After Boo, the Library Ghost, learns to read. He becomes a friendly ghost librarian, repairing the damaged materials, righting the upturned furniture, clearing away the mess, and dedicating himself to sharing the love of stories, books, and reading with children.

This story reassures young pre-readers that it is okay to find the task of learning to read daunting and that it is equally okay to ask for help and to need explicit reading instruction. It is a good reminder for adults that less than 30% of children will learn to read without explicitly being taught and that exposure to books and reading is not sufficient to teach reading.

The resolution reminded me of the little known second verse of the English language children's rhyme "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater:"

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
Had another and didn't leave her;
Peter learned to read and spell,
And then he loved her very well.

The fact that the ability to read [and write] civilized him, endowed him with gentleness and the capacity to love, is a parallel to Goo the Ghost's transformation into a caretaker of books and nurturer of children in whom he instills the love of books and reading.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stay away from this library! This library is haunted by a ghost who likes to scare all who enter while causing chaos inside the walls of this structure. Children are his favorite, frightening them so much that they run out of the library and head home. Boo does it all, from throwing books to ripping out the pages of the books, to making spooky scary faces on the walls. You have been warned.

Boo meets his match when Poppy walks into the library. After all of Boo antics, Poppy remains in the library. Poppy even asks Boo to calm down as she’s reading a book and he’s distracting her. This makes Boo mad, so he becomes more destructive. Wow, Boo is really tearing up the library! Poppy tries to stop Boo’s behavior and that’s when she realizes why Boo is really acting out.

Boo is reluctant to warm up to Poppy as she talks to him. He’s listening but he’s scared. Poppy’s patience and loving words warm Boo’s heart and they connect. Poppy is the perfect advocate for the library and soon she has Boo on board.

It’s a great story and I liked Boo’s transformation. Boo’s behavior was caused by something deeper and Poppy discovered it and helped Boo. I liked how she became friends with Boo. The illustrations were busy, colorful and they complimented the text. I enjoyed the text, but it did get a bit too long for my 3-year-old grandson. A fun book about books and the power of reading. 5 stars

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good one to add to the not-too-scary Halloween rotation. And a good one for learning library manners! We all know libraries have ghosts (it's a known fact for anyone who's ever worked in a library), but this one isn't the most well-behaved resident. Until he meets a little girl who helps him learn to read and appreciate what he's surrounded by. Does every reader immediately transform into a well-behaved library patron? Of course not (our jobs would be so much easier if they did!). But it is still a good one to introduce some of the "library manners" that we can take for granted.

In short, an adorable ghost, a touch seasonal, and a good message about taking care of the books and libraries that we love. Not perfect - a few rhymes were a bit forced, for example, and might not work for all reluctant/late-blooming readers - but still a solid enough one that it's a fun addition to the library and to seasonal storytimes.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SO. FREAKING. CUTE.

Ghost tries to scare everyone out of the library and thoroughly succeeds - for the most part.
One girl refuses to let ghost intimidate her and stays in the library reading, no matter what.
Girl realizes ghost can't read and begins teaching him to read.
Ghost becomes librarian!!

And, unlike a lot of other picture books about libraries, Boo becomes a legitimate librarian - he learns to repair books, make reading recommendations, conduct storytime and facilitate literacy, etc. That immediately makes this book SO much better than other picture books that get librarianship all wrong and continue to portray it in inaccurate ways that perpetuate stereotypes about the profession. This is such a perfectly sweet and spooky read!!

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book about a ghost living in a library. Kids will love how cute the ghost is. So cute.

The ghost tries and scare all the kids away from the library. He sees a girl engrossed in a book and tries to scare her. She tells him to pipe down, this chapter is too good to stop. He gets angry. The ghost can't read. So, this girl teaches him to read. Yes, the story is about reading.

Now the library is the nicest place to go.

It's a fun book for Halloween.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful story about a ghost who was terrorizing a library until he learned to read. Upon learning to read he learned to love the library. The author does a really good job rhyming however the cadence does not always flow well and causes tripping of the tongue when reading out loud. The illustrations are fantastic and fit with the vibe of most libraries. I see Libraries keeping this on the shelf for a very long time.

[Kelly]

This book was better than I expected. The rhyming is pretty good, and the story is so cute. I love that in the end the ghost does put the library back the way it belongs. I was expecting this to be like other stories I've read that are like, the ghost is a boy, and this is how he shows his feelings, or something, but I was pleasantly surprised that it really is about a ghost.

[Dana A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book to add to your holiday collection, especially for librarians who are looking for some not-so-spooky reads for the little kiddos! 'Boo the Library Ghost' is such an adorable book that rhymes, has amazing illustrations, and is perfect for Halloween! Highly recommend for early readers, especially ages 4-8 years old!

[Eboné B. Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Books like this one makes me wish I were a child again. But then again, if I were a child - I don't think I would appreciate it as much as I do now! So I will just settle with my adult self smiling at my child self.

What a lovely story about the library ghost that didn't know how to read.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boo the ghost lives in the Library. He loves to reek havoc in the Library, scaring children, destroying books, and messing up the shelves.

Poppy loves reading, will boo cause her to give up books?

[Robin Berman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet short story with adorable cute illustrations.

A little girl befriends the ghost haunting the library, and fixes his issue by teaching him to read.

Now the ghost 👻- named Boo- enjoys books.

[Pamela Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute tale of a library ghost who destroys the books and spooks the patrons, until Poppy realizes Boo cannot read. So Poppy teaches Boo and he becomes the best library ghost! Adorable illustrations as well.

[kayley anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to cleo today. She ran away before the end but she was really into it before that

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

😍 such a cute little story! Love the rhyming and that there's a haunted library!