The Boy Who Cried Ghost

by Ian Eagleton

There's a ghost in Richard's wardrobe. Every day he carries out a series of rituals which he believes will keep the ghost trapped inside. He tries to tell his friends and family, but they dismiss his worries and concerns as being part of his anxiety. But then one day, the wardrobe door is opened...

And that's when the hauntings begin.

An own-voices novel about mental health, family, friendship, confronting fear and accepting change. This is the new novel by Ian Eagleton - the Polari-prize-winning author of GLITTER BOY Perfect for fans of THE BOY AT THE BACK OF THE CLASS, Jennifer Killick and Neil Gaiman's THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction

319 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2024

About the author

Ian is 35 year olds and is the director of The Reading Realm. He is also a content creator and resource writer for various educational organisations, including The Literacy Shed and Authorfy. Ian has taught in primary schools for 13 years and during this time has been a member of the senior management team, a phase leader, and literacy co-ordinator. Ian has also run staff training and writing workshops for children. He still teaches part time at a local school and especially enjoys sharing picture books, poetry and creative writing activities with the children he teaches.

Reviews

[Sandy Smith]

A children's book about Richard; his mum, and her friend Tony, Richard moving to his grandmother's house, making new friends Quinn, Mei, and Amelia. It's a great book about Richard being different, but that's OK. It explores his OCD and anxiety and makes it clear that these compulsions and thoughts can be overcome and how to live with these traits. The compulsion to do something is explained beautifully as something bad happens if you don't do something and check that you have done so. A great children's book based on the experiences of the author. Friendships, love and accepting yourself leap from the pages. Great stuff.

[Alice magical library]

I really loved this book! I think that Ian wrote and described the book amazingly, as felt quite a lot of sad feelings for Richard because of all of the.. the… DREADED THOUGHTS!!! I loved all of the characters (especially Clawdia!), and I think that for anyone who has and hasn’t got OCD, this book really shows how people with OCD can affect their everyday lives. I think that everybody over the age of 8 should read this book, as I thought it was - as Quinn would say - SPOOK-TASTIC! I loved Ian’s work, and I hope that he will write more books like this in the future!

[Les McFarlane]

Richard and his mum have had to move into the house where his grandmother had lived - a house Richard has never been to that had been lived in by a woman he had never met. It’s all a bit much for Richard, since ever he could remember, his ability to to keep things in the right place and in the right order had kept him and his mum safe. However, moving into this house with it’s funny smell and mirrors everywhere things just didn’t feel right - and this is compounded by the feeling that there is most definitely something in the great big wardrobe in his bedroom! Keeping that wardrobe closed is going to be vital for their safety here, so he must check, check and check again to make sure it never gets out.
Richard’s mum has got a new job in the local supermarket and he will be going to the local school. Unfortunately, Mum’s new ‘friend’ Tony, doesn’t understand Richard’s anxiety and ways. After managing a few days in his new class and keeping whatever is in that wardrobe at bay with duct tape and a certain number of checks before and after school- things are maybe going well…until Tony decides that Richard needs to face his fears, rips away the tape from the wardrobe and throwing the doors open wide! That night, the clock on the wall stops, the room chills right down and the foul thing bearing down lets out a rasping, croaky whisper, “Rrrrrriiiiichaaaarddd”…

This is a great, spooky read that had me alternating between thinking that the ghost and the fear are just a symbol of Richard’s anxiety & being genuinely spooked by the ghostly character! The author has given us a truly great balance. The way Richard’s inner voice is written in italics and this is such a clever use of font. I haven’t got OCD but I absolutely do recognise the traits I saw in Richard.of thinking that people will be able to see the unkind and unsafe thoughts going on in his head and when they did they would know what a horrible person he was and who would want to be friends with him? It was such an insight into Richard’ early life, where his anxiety started, in the memories that are sparked by the unfolding events. This book has such insight and compassion for the issues of OCD and anxiety. It was balanced and gave such insight not only to the issues that Richard has but also how friendships & school life can be impacted - and can help. It’s so well done. The characters around Richard and his mum are richly drawn, varied and interesting.
I have to say, the last few pages had me in tears. It was touching, warm, tough…all of the feelings! And the dedication - don’t get me started!
Great characters, great story, great insight, hopeful, uplifting - great book. Oh! And the references to current children’s books, wonderland bookshop and a playlist… chef’s kiss!

[Lucy]

I really loved this. It’s simultaneously a sweet and empowering tale of understated bravery and also a really quite terrifying ghost story — I certainly won’t be going in the attic any time soon!! It’s fun too: something about the unlikely gang of kids— each with their own story going on — the pop culture references, and the spooky sleepover is all reminiscent of the very best 80s adventures. So much for kids to revel in here.

But it also is a great window into the world of a kid suffering with anxiety and OCD — even though I don’t think it’s ever explicitly named as such. As an adult reader I certainly learned at lot. I particularly appreciated the complexity of how it was presented - Richard is not always his best self as his obsessions can be overwhelming to the point of pushing other people’s needs out. I always love a main character who is not your stereotypical hero, and honestly presenting Richard’s challenges allowed you to appreciate his bravery even more when he recognised them himself. It was also so cleverly done that no one believed in the ghost he was experiencing, in large part because they’d never taken the time to understand his compulsions — so the line between his every day, out-of-proportion, fears and the very real fear of a new threat were blurred.

It also features my favourite side character for a while, in Richard’s mums boyfriend Tony. Dad jokes and awkward kindness galore!

[Emm Woodworth]

I just really didn't enjoy this one. I think the OCD representation is so good and important for kids to know about, plus the parts about how everyone has their own struggles and you don't know what's going on in people's lives.
I just thought the story was very flat and the ending felt like one of Richard's fantasies playing out from earlier in the book, that suddenly everyone believes him and apologises and he's the hero.
I found Richard (the lead character) difficult in this one as he was often mean to his friends and family, this is called out but it annoyed me still. I thought Richard's mum was not being a good parent at all, I understand the stress for her but yelling at him and constantly having your boyfriend who Richard has only known 3 weeks round is not the way to go.
The story is front-loaded with LGBTQ+ characters and characters of colour, which as a queer person at first I thought was really cool... until you got to the kids randomly going "oh yeah that teacher we had, he travels the world with his husband now" and then it felt a bit forced.
It is not clear what happened to Richard's dad, I was assuming he was dead but when he spoke to Tony about his dad passing it wasn't mentioned. Also did Richard's grandma die by suicide? that seemed implied to me... dark

I do think the author's tribute to his father in the story was very sweet

[EC]

This very-spooky, heartfelt tale had me at the edge of my seat. How was the protagonist, Richard, who suffered from crippling anxiety and who I care so much about, going to face the terrifying ghost in the wardrobe, at his new home in his grandmother’s house? This book was inspired by both the author’s personal experience of OCD and by his wonderful, witty dad. This is very palpable on every page of this stunning novel. It’s definitely a perfect book for the spooky season. I adored Richard, his friends, his mum and, of course, Tony. Richard’s encounters with the wardrobe ghost sent constant shivers up and down my spine. Every page packed a punch but I won’t forget what happened on page 297 anytime soon. There is something very tangible and uplifting in this novel and it is woven beautifully into this gripping, ghostly tale.

[Steph]

I just adored this. Richard is an amazing MC, who is learning to live with his anxiety. His life has been uphauled - they’ve moved to a new house with a ghost that he has to deal with. No one believes him. I love the threads of acceptance, loving yourself and overcoming adversity in this. Can’t wait to share this with the kids at school.

[Leonard Kearon MSc]

A frightening and feel good story

The Boy Who Cried Ghost by Ian Eagleton is a fantastic story for both the young and old.
The book is full of excellent characters who are fleshed out wonderfully as well as a great creepy adversary in The Whisperer. Once I started, I found it hard to put down. A fantastic book.

[Ruth]

“The Boy Who Cried Ghost” a mesmerising, spooky tale of a young boy’s terrifying journey to understand his intrusive thoughts and feelings and be understood. A story of friendship, love and joy. A book that will help others see the struggles people can go through. Exploring mental health in an approachable way. A return to childhood, adventure, loyalty and laughter. I loved reading. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[April Ellam]

Great book about a boy called Richard who is settling into a new school, trying to make new friends and also finds a ghost in his wardrobe! Good read for children, teenagers and even adults. Also gives an insight of what it’s like to struggle with OCD and anxiety. I would recommend!

[Caroline Cuell]

Great children’s book. Perfect for anyone suffering from OCD, anxiousness or poor self worth, this story highlights the value in just being yourself and looking for the positives among all the noise. Also that it is ok to reach out and ask for help.

[Mrs Walsh]

A good book with some good messages throughout. I just wasn’t 100% sold on the ghost side.

[Ian Newland]

An exciting, thrilling, scary story. I loved the OCD representation and LGBT inclusivity.

[Manic Booksy Dreamgirl]

Spooktacular story about overcoming your fears and accepting yourself as you are. Great autumn read for 9-12 year olds.

[Kayleigh]

3.5

[Vonprice]

A seriously spooky middle grade novel which explores OCD.
You can read my review here: http://vsviewfromthebookshelves.home....

[Michelle]

Enjoyed this book, read after hearing about it from a friend as my sons going through a lot of anxiety himself at the moment. Definitely worth a read.