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The Ghost in Room 11
Matthew Barber thinks that being the new kid in school will be the scariest thing about fourth grade. But is he ever wrong! When the class bully challenges him to spend the night in Healy Elementary, Matthew learns that the rumor of a ghost teacher wandering the halls is more than just a story. And because he has already lost his classmates’ trust by lying about his old school, no one believes the terrifying There is a ghost, and she knows Matthew’s name . . . and she won’t let him rest until she gets what she wants! The Ghost in Room 11 has won the Florida, Iowa, and Oklahoma Children’s Book Awards.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 1997
7 people are currently reading
138 people want to read
About the author
Betty Ren Wright
97 books296 followersBetty Ren Wright was an award-winning author of children's fiction including The Dollhouse Murders, The Ghosts Of Mercy Manor and A Ghost in The House.
Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.
Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.
Known for her ghost stories and mysteries, Wright published 28 children's novels between 1981 and 2006, as well as picture books and short stories. Prior to pursuing her career as a full-time author in 1978, she worked as an editor of children's books.
Wright lived in Wisconsin with her husband, painter George A. Fredericksen, until her death in 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 13, 2024
Particularly my inner child was definitely looking forward to reading Betty Ren Wright's 1997 middle grade novella The Ghost in Room 11, since I, or rather since she fondly believed and also expected that Ren Wright would be presenting not only a fun, slightly eerie ghost story but also an account covering, dealing with the many stresses encountered by and during household moving, with main protagonist and fourth grade student Matt Barber being the "new kid" in class and trying to fit in, trying to show off by telling falsehoods, by making himself a proverbial class laughing stock through and due to spinning absolutely ridiculously warped, totally unbelievable yarns about his background and his supposed "real" parents (with Matt telling his class that he is adopted, that his biological mother is a movie stuntwoman and his biological father a treasure hunter) and then having the ghost of former teacher and recently deceased Mrs. Whipple show up to help him, to help Matt become a decent speller, to make friends (and that Mrs. Whipple also persuades Matt to admit that he was fibbing about his family to impress his new classmates).
However, and while what Betty Ren Wright verbally provides thematics and contents-wise in The Ghost in Room 11 does basically follow the bare bones, the general outline of my inner child's above mentioned reading expectations and the book synopsis, sorry, but as both a household moving tale and even more so as a ghost story, The Ghost in Room 11 has been hugely and annoyingly lacklustre, textually presenting itself as mostly ridiculous, as generally totally silly and not really ever all that eerie, all that creepy by any stretch of the imagination, as in any way spine-chilling (and that Matt Barber with his fabrications, with his false family stories bores not only his classmates but also me as a reader and that the ghost of Mrs. Whipple with her constant admonishments of needing to "try harder" reads hugely didactically and just makes The Ghost in Room 11 feel dragging, stereotypical and with Betty Ren Wright's words therefore feeling both uninteresting and also engendering a story that seems more like an outline than an actual, than a finished and rounded account). Not a terrible tale is The Ghost in Room 11 (and yes, I do kind of understand and also appreciate why Matt Barber wants to embellish his family background to try to impress his new schoolmates), but well, Ren Wright's strained plot, her cast of one-dimensional and stereotypical characters both primary and secondary (and a ghost who is never frightening but more like a typical teacher chanting annoyingly tedious educational doctrines/slogans, and how this supposedly is all essential to and for Matt's happiness and his future success), yes, it certainly has rendered The Ghost in Room 11 for the most part tediously groan-worthy and hugely all-encompassingly monotonous (and that my two star rating for The Ghost in Room 11 should also be considered as being rather generous).
However, and while what Betty Ren Wright verbally provides thematics and contents-wise in The Ghost in Room 11 does basically follow the bare bones, the general outline of my inner child's above mentioned reading expectations and the book synopsis, sorry, but as both a household moving tale and even more so as a ghost story, The Ghost in Room 11 has been hugely and annoyingly lacklustre, textually presenting itself as mostly ridiculous, as generally totally silly and not really ever all that eerie, all that creepy by any stretch of the imagination, as in any way spine-chilling (and that Matt Barber with his fabrications, with his false family stories bores not only his classmates but also me as a reader and that the ghost of Mrs. Whipple with her constant admonishments of needing to "try harder" reads hugely didactically and just makes The Ghost in Room 11 feel dragging, stereotypical and with Betty Ren Wright's words therefore feeling both uninteresting and also engendering a story that seems more like an outline than an actual, than a finished and rounded account). Not a terrible tale is The Ghost in Room 11 (and yes, I do kind of understand and also appreciate why Matt Barber wants to embellish his family background to try to impress his new schoolmates), but well, Ren Wright's strained plot, her cast of one-dimensional and stereotypical characters both primary and secondary (and a ghost who is never frightening but more like a typical teacher chanting annoyingly tedious educational doctrines/slogans, and how this supposedly is all essential to and for Matt's happiness and his future success), yes, it certainly has rendered The Ghost in Room 11 for the most part tediously groan-worthy and hugely all-encompassingly monotonous (and that my two star rating for The Ghost in Room 11 should also be considered as being rather generous).
October 21, 2021
Another fun and heart-warming book!!
August 13, 2016
Younger MG
Matthew is the new kid in school and--worse--starts after school has been in session for a month. His insecurity leads him to tell lies about his family and himself, lies the other kids see through and tease him about. Basically a bum time.
Charlie, who is a particular tormenter, dares Matthew to stay in the schoolhouse, reputedly haunted, after hours. As Matt walks the dark hallway a tall figure appears--having emerged through the door of Room 11--and calls out his name. It is the ghost of Mrs. Whipple, a stern and effective teacher who died several years earlier.
Mrs. Whipple appears to Matt again and again, and gradually he begins to realize she has an important message for him, one that will help him regain his confidence and do better in school.
The chill factor in this book is minimal, although Mrs. Whipple's first two appearances, while quick, are nicely creepy. This is one story in which author Wright presents a ghost devoid of malice (however scary she may be to present-day and past students), a ghost bent on continuing her helping habits in the classroom. [In PRINCESS FOR A WEEK Wright also has a friendly ghost, Mrs. Mortimer] Matt's acting out of his insecurity--lying, neglecting his homework, not communicating with his parents--ring true enough to make this not only an enjoyable, if lightweight, ghost story, but to convey a reassuring message that self-acceptance may be followed by social acceptance.
Matthew is the new kid in school and--worse--starts after school has been in session for a month. His insecurity leads him to tell lies about his family and himself, lies the other kids see through and tease him about. Basically a bum time.
Charlie, who is a particular tormenter, dares Matthew to stay in the schoolhouse, reputedly haunted, after hours. As Matt walks the dark hallway a tall figure appears--having emerged through the door of Room 11--and calls out his name. It is the ghost of Mrs. Whipple, a stern and effective teacher who died several years earlier.
Mrs. Whipple appears to Matt again and again, and gradually he begins to realize she has an important message for him, one that will help him regain his confidence and do better in school.
The chill factor in this book is minimal, although Mrs. Whipple's first two appearances, while quick, are nicely creepy. This is one story in which author Wright presents a ghost devoid of malice (however scary she may be to present-day and past students), a ghost bent on continuing her helping habits in the classroom. [In PRINCESS FOR A WEEK Wright also has a friendly ghost, Mrs. Mortimer] Matt's acting out of his insecurity--lying, neglecting his homework, not communicating with his parents--ring true enough to make this not only an enjoyable, if lightweight, ghost story, but to convey a reassuring message that self-acceptance may be followed by social acceptance.
January 8, 2014
Matt is new in school and doesn't like it. The kids aren't too friendly and when Matt does try to something to get the kids to like him, it backfires. And worse of all, the school is haunted by a ghost that doesn't want to leave Matt alone.
I read a number of books by Betty Ren Wright and so far all I've read by her, I like. Her books are good, I always enjoy the stories she comes up with. While the story in this one isn't bad, the adults in the book really made the book less enjoyable. How they acted with Matt and everything, they weren't very understanding. His mom telling Matt he put it on himself if kids didn't want to be his friend.
Not a bad book at all and I'd probably read it again, but like I said, the adult characters made it less enjoyable.
I read a number of books by Betty Ren Wright and so far all I've read by her, I like. Her books are good, I always enjoy the stories she comes up with. While the story in this one isn't bad, the adults in the book really made the book less enjoyable. How they acted with Matt and everything, they weren't very understanding. His mom telling Matt he put it on himself if kids didn't want to be his friend.
Not a bad book at all and I'd probably read it again, but like I said, the adult characters made it less enjoyable.
January 21, 2022
A really different ghost story. It’s interesting to think that some parents wouldn’t want their kids to read this and some kids would be very scared when I think of the real terrors that exist in the world. Compared to gun violence, abuse, climate change, systemic racism, misogyny, global pandemic, etc., ghosts, even of spelling stickler Miss Edna Whipple, seem quite innocuous and even welcome replacements for the real horrors we face.
November 1, 2014
Another solid ghost story by Betty Ren Wright. This time a boy tries to impress by telling lies at his new school. The problem comes that no one believes him when he says he's seen a ghost several times in the building. Creepy with a fun ending, I liked the book, but it's not my favorite. Still a good story and perfect for kids looking for a little scare in their books.
June 12, 2020
Still scared me. In broad daylight.
October 1, 2014
El mejor regalo de cumple mi sueño de mi casa a dormir que ya me voy a ir al cine a ver si te vas de mi casa a dormir que ya me voy a ir al cine a ver si te vas de tema un día como si no te lo mereces por el mundo es que me voy a dormir y me dice el que se te ve el pelo de, pero me gusta que te lo mereces por el mundo es que me voy a dormir y me dice el que se te ve el pelo de mi casa y no se pueden hacer algo productivo que hice fue el que no se puede hacer el ridículo en la cama de mis amigas y amigos que me voy a ir al colegio mañana me voy a ir al colegio mañana me voy a dormir que ya me voy a dormir que ya me uno al lado de la mañana me voy a ir al cine a ver a la escuela de idiomas que me voy a ir al cine a ver a la escuela de idiomas que me voy a ir al colegio y no se puede hacer el ridículo en la cama de mis amigas y amigos que me voy a dormir y me voy de la cama y no se que no se si me
October 28, 2014
This book was about a kid named Matt that moves to a different school. One kid says the school is haunted and Matt doesn't believe him so Matt stays after school to see the ghost. After the janitor left Matt looked down the hall way and he saw a ghost. Next, he was running on to the blacktop and he saw the kid who dared him to see the ghost and he was laughing. Later nobody believed him that there was a ghost.
I rated this book 3 stars because it had an ok story line and some parts didn't make a lot of sense.I still like this book because the ghost was a teacher that made children work as hard as they could. I would recommend this book to a person who likes easey books and likes ghost stories.
I rated this book 3 stars because it had an ok story line and some parts didn't make a lot of sense.I still like this book because the ghost was a teacher that made children work as hard as they could. I would recommend this book to a person who likes easey books and likes ghost stories.
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October 1, 2009A little boy moves to a new city and he doesn't fit in. Some other kids challenge him to stay all night at school because there is a ghost. The boy does see a ghost and everyone makes fun of him because it was a joke and the adults are mad because he insists there is a ghost. Certain events convince the others and the boy makes a handful of friends.
September 27, 2008
This was my first Betty Ren Wright book I read.I didn't even figure out that this was by Betty except I just figured it out.I still say the Dollhouse Murders was my first book because I read this one in 3rd or 2nd grade.I can't really retell everything that happened but I can say that I enjoyed it.
October 2, 2008
this book is about a boy who cant pass his spelling test and sees and old teacher. a very old teacher.the ghost is haunting him and he doesnt know what to do thats why i like this book.i recomend this book to people who like mysteries.
December 27, 2016
Matt Barber is in a new school and has been challenged by two classmates to stay in the building after school ... if he's not a chicken ... and meet their ghost. Is there really a ghost at Healy Elementary? And if there is, why is Matt the only one who can see it?
June 11, 2009
this book is really intense and i'm the type of person who loves to read suspense and horror books :)
February 28, 2010
Read in fourth grade
October 2, 2015
This was my favourite book in the horror genre when I was a kid. I think I read it three times.
October 11, 2010
I loved Betty Ren Wright's ghost stories as a kid.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews