What do you think?
Rate this book
Nina Tanleven #3
The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed
In the third book of the Nina Tanleven Mysteries, Nina and her best friend explore a haunted mansion, where they must reunite the ghosts of a father and daughter before it’s too late
Nina and her best friend, Chris, haven’t known each other long, but they’ve already shared enough ghostly adventures for a lifetime. Now working at an antique shop in town, Nina and Chris encounter their latest spooky predicament while inspecting some classic furniture located high in the tower of an old mansion.
In a creepy bedroom sits a magnificent brass bed, and—to their surprise—the crying ghost of a little girl. When they stumble across a second spirit, who resembles the girl’s father, Nina and Chris know one thing for sure: Something is amiss in the big house, and all the antiques in the world couldn’t be more exciting than getting to the truth.
The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed is the third book of the Nina Tanleven Mysteries, which begin with The Ghost in the Third Row and The Ghost Wore Gray.
This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Bruce Coville including rare images from the author’s collection.
Nina and her best friend, Chris, haven’t known each other long, but they’ve already shared enough ghostly adventures for a lifetime. Now working at an antique shop in town, Nina and Chris encounter their latest spooky predicament while inspecting some classic furniture located high in the tower of an old mansion.
In a creepy bedroom sits a magnificent brass bed, and—to their surprise—the crying ghost of a little girl. When they stumble across a second spirit, who resembles the girl’s father, Nina and Chris know one thing for sure: Something is amiss in the big house, and all the antiques in the world couldn’t be more exciting than getting to the truth.
The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed is the third book of the Nina Tanleven Mysteries, which begin with The Ghost in the Third Row and The Ghost Wore Gray.
This ebook features an illustrated personal history of Bruce Coville including rare images from the author’s collection.
187 pages, ebook
First published September 1, 1991
About the author
Bruce Coville
294 books1,242 followersBruce Coville was born in Syracuse, New York, in 1950. His family lived in farm territory, about twenty miles north of Syracuse. Bruce grew up around the corner from his grandparents' dairy farm, where he spent a great deal of time as a child, dodging cows and chores to the best of his ability. As a young reader he loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle, and still has fond memories of rising ahead of the rest of his family so he could huddle in a chair and read THE VOYAGES OF DR. DOLITTLE. He also read lots of things that people consider junk (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and zillions of comic books). His only real regret is the time he spent watching television, when he could have been reading instead. (A mind is a terrible thing to waste!)
His first book, THE FOOLISH GIANT, was published in 1978. It was illustrated by his wife, Katherine, whom he had married in 1969. This was followed in 1979 by SARAH'S UNICORN, also illustrated by Katherine. After a long period of working separately, the Covilles began collaborating again with SPACE BRAT and GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE, both published in 1992.
Before getting published Bruce earned his living as a toymaker, a gravedigger, a cookware salesman, an assembly line worker, and finally as an elementary school teacher (second and fourth grades). He left teaching in 1981 to devote himself to becoming a full time writer - though it took another five years to achieve that goal!)
Bruce has published over 100 books, which have appeared in over a dozen countries around the world and sold more than sixteen million copies. Among his most popular titles are MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN, INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, and THE MONSTER'S RING. In 2001 he founded Full Cast Audio, an audiobook company dedicated to creating unabridged, full cast recordings of the best in children's and young adult literature.
His first book, THE FOOLISH GIANT, was published in 1978. It was illustrated by his wife, Katherine, whom he had married in 1969. This was followed in 1979 by SARAH'S UNICORN, also illustrated by Katherine. After a long period of working separately, the Covilles began collaborating again with SPACE BRAT and GOBLINS IN THE CASTLE, both published in 1992.
Before getting published Bruce earned his living as a toymaker, a gravedigger, a cookware salesman, an assembly line worker, and finally as an elementary school teacher (second and fourth grades). He left teaching in 1981 to devote himself to becoming a full time writer - though it took another five years to achieve that goal!)
Bruce has published over 100 books, which have appeared in over a dozen countries around the world and sold more than sixteen million copies. Among his most popular titles are MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN, INTO THE LAND OF THE UNICORNS, and THE MONSTER'S RING. In 2001 he founded Full Cast Audio, an audiobook company dedicated to creating unabridged, full cast recordings of the best in children's and young adult literature.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 30, 2012
This series will always have a special place in my heart, always. Because we never forget the books that sparked our love for reading.
February 20, 2023
Ok, this was such a fun experience. I read this book in 3rd grade, and loved it. I remember that it was in my classroom library and I actually read it twice that year. I only remembered certain specific details, like an old house, someone named Phoebe, ghosts, the song "Over There," and a gruesome war painting. Just a few years later, I really wanted to re-read this book but could never find it again or remember the title. When I started using the internet I tried repeatedly to find it, with no luck. I even remember posting on a Goodreads forum about it many years ago! I had given up on ever finding this book again. But then I found an Instagram account called @myoldbooks. They post descriptions of books that people are trying to find, and their Instagram followers post comments identifying the book! I submitted my description to this account in May 2022, with little hope. They ended up posting it last week, and within one day, commenters had suggested I look into this Bruce Coville trilogy, with The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed being #3 which featured a character named "Phoebe" and the song "Over There." I ordered the book from Amazon, and started reading. I couldn't believe it. Within about 30 pages I knew it was the book! I just finished it this morning. It was surreal reading a book that I had read sooo long ago and remembered so fondly. As an adult, I know that this book is not necessarily ~great literature~ but I can see why 3rd grade Sarah loved it. Sleuthing pre-teens, a dark mystery, action, historical background, art, twists and big reveals, and multiple pieces to the puzzle! I can see how this was a bridge for me between the "Cam" mysteries I read in 2nd grade, the Hardy Boys mysteries I'd also been reading, and the Agatha Christie mysteries I probably started reading in 4th grade. What a fun journey to finding this book again! Now I get to put it in my own classroom library, as a teacher!
PS: I would like to add that the version I read in ~1998 had a very different style cover! Google it if you want to see.
PS: I would like to add that the version I read in ~1998 had a very different style cover! Google it if you want to see.
June 16, 2025
I have loved all three novels in this wonderful series featuring two 11-year-old best friends who see ghosts when others don’t, but this final novel is my favorite. Nina “Nine” Tanleven and Chris Gurley see a ghost child in the titular big brass bed, crying for her missing father. Who is this young girl? And what happened to her and her missing father?
The best way to enjoy this five-star read is on Audible, narrated by Christine Moore. I wish author Bruce Coville would continue a middle-grade series that’s definitely not for kids only!
The best way to enjoy this five-star read is on Audible, narrated by Christine Moore. I wish author Bruce Coville would continue a middle-grade series that’s definitely not for kids only!
July 6, 2017
The book club's season of rereading books from when I was a child led me to this one. It did not disappoint.
June 1, 2024
This was my favorite of the entire series, and it's because you really started to get a greater feel for the fictional little town they live in. The character development for all the recurring characters was really pleasant as you could see it as a good foundation for future books and stories. Thus, that's what also makes this one so bittersweet as it makes me wish that Coville had continued the series. Considering how imaginatively wild he went out there with the "My Teacher Is An Alien" series, I could have easily seen him go just far within the ghost world with this one.
All in all, this one had a great story, fairly intriguing mystery, great supporting cast of characters, and slightly more successful with the historical aspect of its historical fiction take on a WWI soldier (compared to the prior two books in the series).
Would be great to have the series re-visited in the current times with Nine & Chris occupying more of a supernatural detective agency role with a Cagney & Lacey vibe.
All in all, this one had a great story, fairly intriguing mystery, great supporting cast of characters, and slightly more successful with the historical aspect of its historical fiction take on a WWI soldier (compared to the prior two books in the series).
Would be great to have the series re-visited in the current times with Nine & Chris occupying more of a supernatural detective agency role with a Cagney & Lacey vibe.
May 21, 2020
Every adult should read a mid-grade novel every now and then, especially one by a master like Bruce Coville. He completely nails the 11 year olds at the center of this ghost story, making them smart and curious but not precocious. There's plenty of classic tropes used to great effect: the haunted house (complete with dumbwaiter), the suspicious adult, the cool dad, a trip to the library. But it's the best kind of mid-grade novel that doesn't talk down to its audience and actually includes a few pretty mature themes and references to events like WWI and the 1918 pandemic (timely!).
I'm glad I finally read this after a friend has been talking it up to me for close to a decade.
I'm glad I finally read this after a friend has been talking it up to me for close to a decade.
July 8, 2017
I actually enjoyed reading this book! I know it's meant for kids, but I do like a bit of easy reading now and then. Although predictable, the plot was intriguing.
September 3, 2023
If there was a 100 star rating I’d put it, this book is incredible if there was a bigger word I’d say it this is the best book I’ve ever read
Ivy Fawcett age 11
Ivy Fawcett age 11
November 25, 2015
Nine helps out her dad's friend at her antique shop and ends up getting her and Chris mixed up with two ghosts - a child waiting for her father, who is stuck outside. I definitely remember how this and Rilla of Ingleside combined to give me my first understanding of WW1 - the scene were Nine ends up inside the painting during the battle remains chilling even as an adult. Definitely problematic in how Jimmy is written about, but other parts are just wonderful. There are some pretty strong things about war, PTSD, and how countries and their citizens respond to things in times of war that don't always make sense - how the little girl died hit me hard. Also, Sam the hot librarian is back, which is fun, and Nine's father is just plain terrific. I really like him, and his reaction to hearing about the little girl ghost is pretty perfect. There are things from each of these books that have stuck with me for 25+ years, and for this one, it's definitely the final scene. It's gorgeous. I'm so glad these mostly held up pretty well.
October 10, 2023
Above all others, this was the childhood book that I went back to year after year and I can confidently say that Bruce Coville’s thoughtful, entertaining, and now nostalgic mystery was a major reason why I became a lifelong reader at such a young age. I think this book also inspired a lifelong interest in WWI, Victorian houses, ghost stories, and fall in upstate NY.
What a fun revisit during October! I was very impressed by the Christina More audio version and happy to see this story more than holds up 30+ years after publication.
What a fun revisit during October! I was very impressed by the Christina More audio version and happy to see this story more than holds up 30+ years after publication.
November 29, 2022
Definitely the "scariest" of the three in the series. This was a quick, nostalgic re-read for me. I couldn't get my son on board to check out the series as a "spooky" read in October, but it ended up being a fun trip down memory lane. (This the series I remember discovering on audio cassette at the library and feeling SO mature about reading because it involved, you know...ghosts! :-))
December 1, 2017
THE GHOST IN THE BIG BRASS BED by Bruce Coville
(Earlier books in the series, also excellent — THE GHOST IN THE THIRD ROW and THE GHOST WORE GRAY)
I throughly enjoy these fast, exciting ghost stories, Chris and Nine’s adventures, and Coville’s way of including good messages and information, without being “preachy,” just naturally occurring in conversation with Nina/Nine’s cool dad or others.
For example, a having character named Phoebe might flummox a young reader, but not when introduced this way, “‘Fee-bee!’ (Actually, she was shouting, ‘Phoebe!’ — but I didn’t know how to spell it until . . . later.”
Lessons on human nature:
“. . . people love to tell you what they know.”
“Maybe when you feed someone you start to get attached to him.”
“ . . . we’ve pretty much beaten the flu. I wish I could say the same thing about prejudice.”
“. . . bravery doesn’t mean not being afraid; it means doing what has to be done even if you’re terrified.”
(Earlier books in the series, also excellent — THE GHOST IN THE THIRD ROW and THE GHOST WORE GRAY)
I throughly enjoy these fast, exciting ghost stories, Chris and Nine’s adventures, and Coville’s way of including good messages and information, without being “preachy,” just naturally occurring in conversation with Nina/Nine’s cool dad or others.
For example, a having character named Phoebe might flummox a young reader, but not when introduced this way, “‘Fee-bee!’ (Actually, she was shouting, ‘Phoebe!’ — but I didn’t know how to spell it until . . . later.”
Lessons on human nature:
“. . . people love to tell you what they know.”
“Maybe when you feed someone you start to get attached to him.”
“ . . . we’ve pretty much beaten the flu. I wish I could say the same thing about prejudice.”
“. . . bravery doesn’t mean not being afraid; it means doing what has to be done even if you’re terrified.”
September 1, 2018
Cute. I remember reading several similar ghost stories when I was in jr high and really enjoying them.
September 10, 2018
Perfect series!!!
September 8, 2019
this was a little darker than the previous two in the series.
June 18, 2020
My daughter *loved* these books! Too bad there are only 3 of them.
September 21, 2020
Read aloud to Jo. Pretty pretty pretty good.
March 7, 2022
Not quite as good as the first one but I still truly enjoyed this little book. I'm very sad that there are only three books in this series.
March 22, 2023
That ending 🥹
CW: Grief, ableism, poverty, references to: war, suicide
CW: Grief, ableism, poverty, references to: war, suicide
March 10, 2025
Always great to introduce a childhood favorite to my daughter.
September 22, 2014
I liked this book. I really did. I just had a problem that the author went off on too many asides that revealed his political beliefs. Only it wasn't in the subtle or witty ways of a Terry Pratchett or CS Lewis, but in the somewhat ham-handed way of a Terry Goodkind or of the late Tom Clancy.
The storyline is simple. Nina Tanleven and her best friend Chris Gurley are in a house for Nina's occasional job with his father's antique dealer friend Norma when they begin to have supernatural visions and experiences. They find themselves involved with yet another ghostly haunting and a mystery. Solving the mystery is the only way to give the ghosts piece after the tragedy of their lives and to help their new elderly friend keep her house and find her own peace of mind.
The story really was fun. I liked it a lot. Only two things made it bad for me. The first is the point where they don't belong that the author pushed in his beliefs. It reminded me of how Goodkind finds the most inappropriate place to have a libertarian spiel in Wizard's First Rule and where the late Tom Clancy (via Jack Ryan) criticizes Britain's socialist medicine system in his spy novel, Red Rabbit. Though, to be fair, of all of Clancy's over-hyped novels, Red Rabbit is one of the few that is actually good, but anyways...
The second issue is that the history is kinda bad. Maybe I am assuming too much, but Coville doesn't make it clear that both Republicans and Socialists both were in trouble from mobs in Wilson's war and post-war America. There is a reason that Mussolini admired Woodrow Wilson. Granted, he didn't mention political parties or beliefs specifically at all, so this is admittedly subjective and I may be being somewhat jaded here. I just felt that the fact that the references as a whole showed his leanings made me it seem like "liberal and anti-war = good" and otherwise = bad.
I was in a war in Iraq and I know it is evil. I agree with many of his points on this, I just felt the preachiness detracted from the story.
The above areas kinda detracted from what is otherwise an enjoyable story for me. Nonetheless, I do recommend this book and did like it.
The storyline is simple. Nina Tanleven and her best friend Chris Gurley are in a house for Nina's occasional job with his father's antique dealer friend Norma when they begin to have supernatural visions and experiences. They find themselves involved with yet another ghostly haunting and a mystery. Solving the mystery is the only way to give the ghosts piece after the tragedy of their lives and to help their new elderly friend keep her house and find her own peace of mind.
The story really was fun. I liked it a lot. Only two things made it bad for me. The first is the point where they don't belong that the author pushed in his beliefs. It reminded me of how Goodkind finds the most inappropriate place to have a libertarian spiel in Wizard's First Rule and where the late Tom Clancy (via Jack Ryan) criticizes Britain's socialist medicine system in his spy novel, Red Rabbit. Though, to be fair, of all of Clancy's over-hyped novels, Red Rabbit is one of the few that is actually good, but anyways...
The second issue is that the history is kinda bad. Maybe I am assuming too much, but Coville doesn't make it clear that both Republicans and Socialists both were in trouble from mobs in Wilson's war and post-war America. There is a reason that Mussolini admired Woodrow Wilson. Granted, he didn't mention political parties or beliefs specifically at all, so this is admittedly subjective and I may be being somewhat jaded here. I just felt that the fact that the references as a whole showed his leanings made me it seem like "liberal and anti-war = good" and otherwise = bad.
I was in a war in Iraq and I know it is evil. I agree with many of his points on this, I just felt the preachiness detracted from the story.
The above areas kinda detracted from what is otherwise an enjoyable story for me. Nonetheless, I do recommend this book and did like it.
March 2, 2014
Bruce Coville's books are always about more than what meets the eye. In The Ghost in the Big Brass Bed, he tackles nothing less than the horror and fruitlessness of war. But don't worry--anyone looking for a good, old-fashioned ghost story is sure to get it as well. I know it’s a cliché, but I laughed, I cried—sometimes on the same page. With a hint of peaceful spirituality that I notice so often in his work, Coville closes the book with an ending that satisfies in more ways than one.
(End note: I do think he tends to overexplain things a bit, which can drag down the pace, but perhaps this will be an asset to the inquisitive reader :-)).
(End note: I do think he tends to overexplain things a bit, which can drag down the pace, but perhaps this will be an asset to the inquisitive reader :-)).
August 12, 2009
i started updating the inventory in our library today- i work at an elementary school- and couldn't resist bringing a couple of the books home, books i looooooved in like, fourth grade, because clearly i'm made of 99% nostalgia and 1% human being. this one i did not love in fourth grade, but i did- and do- love bruce coville, and i can safely vouch that fourth-grade me would have loved this book. it's creepy, it's got a spunky heroine, one of those little towns where everyone wished they lived when they were wee menaces, and it's written by bruce coville. i give this a retroactive four stars.
January 17, 2011
Back when I was in fifth grade my teacher read us the second one in this series and I was at the library that day getting the rest of them. I was not disappointed at all with this series!
I'll admit that ghost stories scare me but these didn't. They were right on the boarder of scary and not scary. And I loved that.
In this one I loved how Chris and Nine find the Lost Masterpiece. And love how they deal with all the ghost that are haunting this house and I really love how they bring the family back together.
It's a great story and everyone should read it!
I'll admit that ghost stories scare me but these didn't. They were right on the boarder of scary and not scary. And I loved that.
In this one I loved how Chris and Nine find the Lost Masterpiece. And love how they deal with all the ghost that are haunting this house and I really love how they bring the family back together.
It's a great story and everyone should read it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2015
The last book in the trilogy (unless you count the ebook-only short story "The Ghost Let Go," which is terrible). This installment isn't as strong as the others, mainly because the narrative is too complicated and loses focus on the main characters we've come to love so well. Nine and Chris aren't quite as charmingly engaged in this mystery as they have been before, but that's because the mystery itself is weighted down with gloom from the First World War. It's still a Coville book, with great family scenes and a thrilling climax, but it isn't Coville at his best.
September 18, 2011
In terms of children's books, especially children's horror books, Bruce Coville's Nine Tanleven series is solid. This is the third book, and you don't need to read the other two to enjoy it. It's basically a really good ghost story with some historical interest involved - the painter is fictional, but doing a google image search for WWI era paintings brought up some pictures that were similar to the mental images Coville painted. Just read it.
April 5, 2023
I've been reading through my old favourites to see if they stand up and if they still merit a spot on my bookshelf, and I was thinking I'd probably end up giving this away. Nah dude!! This is middle-grade lit at its best. The intricacy of the plot, the relevance of the commentary, our two engaging and entertaining heroines all shine. The enduring maturity of the themes and tone that have defined the entire series are hiked up to Nine Tan-leven, and the ending is absolutely gorgeous.
December 11, 2016
This is my favorite book in this trilogy. The story is interesting, the ghosts are scary, and the protagonists growing stills with ghosts means that even though this is the end of the series I in no way think its the end of their ghost adventures.
May 19, 2009
This book was actually pretty good considering I sat down at 4:15 and had it finished by 5:30. The plot was unique and suspenseful. My only problem with this book was Coville's concept that ghosts took a human form, gave off their own light, could move objects, and interact with you. It seemed a little dumb...and took away a lot of the mystery of ghosts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews