ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties

by J. Bean Palmer, Chris Palmer, Melanie Therrien (Illustrations)

Recipient of the prestigious Mom's Choice Award honoring excellence, a Moonbeam Children's Book Award, and described by Midwest Book Review as "about as fine a middle school fantasy as you could get."

When their ancestral lands in the Scottish Highlands are threatened, three ancient ghosts of the castle need one of their clan from the living world. They call the young Cape Cod witch across the sea.

ElsBeth has a personal calling to protect the natural world, and her own need to know more about her family line.

With help and hindrance from her classmates who've been swept along, and newfound allies and opponents both magical and not, ElsBeth is drawn deep into the present danger and the mysteries of the old country and her heritage -- well above her magic level.

She must find a new measure of herself, and use all she can of the past and the present to make a future for her family and her friends.

Genres: Middle Grade

222 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2014

About the author

J BEAN PALMER is the author of the popular award winning Little Cape Cod Witch fantasy adventures for middle-grade readers. With a degree in environmental science, her stories reflect a theme of respect for the natural world. She is a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, National League of American Pen Women, the Cape Cod Cultural Center, and a former member of the board of the Cape Cod Writers Center.

Reviews

[Queen Spades · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: This was given by the authors in exchange for an honest review.

Verdict: 3.75, rounded to a soft 4.

Let’s dive into the pros of ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties.

1. Stand Alone Indeed
It was nice to see that this book (as well as the other books) in the Cape Cod Witch series can in fact stand alone.

2. Beautiful Cover
I really love the way this cover was done. Images very crisp and colorful without being overwhelming with content. Balance of text and spacing was wonderful to the eyes. Out of all the covers in the series, this is the one I adored the most.

3. Impressive internal illustrations
All of the illustrations made me smile. I could not pinpoint one that was my absolute favorite because I appreciated them all. I only wished there were a few more of them as it got to the middle and ending of the book.

4. Name brands null and void
One of the major wins for this book in the Cape Cod Witch series is that the author deviated from the mentioning of name brand items. In the previous two books, I found it a bit distracting. With this being left out, it helped to keep the focus on the substance of the contents.

5. Minimal to no use of certain punctuation marks, such as hyphens, long dashes, and parenthesis made for tidier text.

6. Increased strength in the core supporting cast
Robert Hillman-Jones and Johnny Twofeathers in particular really came into their own in the Call of the Castle Ghosties. ElsBeth seemed more of a team supporter than the sole hero. Although there may be some who frown on the shared spotlight, I believe it reinforces the fact that they truly are friends of ElsBeth and have the best intentions at heart.

7. Gives spotlight to real life issues
There were quite a bit of chances to learn in this book. Some of the issues mentioned involved polar bears, stripping the land of its natural resources, and lack of encouragement to think for one’s self in the education system. Since the characters are at about the ten/eleven year old mark, it’s not too unorthodox to provide some type of awareness about these types of things.

Cons

1. The “And” and “But”-o-rama
I still don’t like the heavy dependence of putting “and” as well s “but” at the beginning of sentences, more so in a book tailored towards youth.

2. The weird quotation marks usage.

3. Weird sentence structure in the form of comma splices and commas used a bit too abundantly.

4. More illustrations
I hinted at it previously but the illustrator’s talent is so terrific that I wanted it displayed on each and every chapter. I would have liked to have been shown what the newer characters looked like such as Baird and Effie. Plus, for those who are visual, it would have given a more continuous flow between text and pictures.

5. Imbalanced pacing in spots
Although there was quite a bit of conflict to go around in ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties, there were a few chapters where things lulled slightly. It felt like the author realized that and things got rather speedy in the final third of the book. This is not the type of read where you want to get distracted, for you may miss something pertinent if you don’t.

Out of all the books in The Cape Cod Witch series, ElsBeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties is the strongest representation of a strong story line, balanced conflict, engaging characters, and life lessons for young people to take with them.

[Terry]

Read. Not reviewed.

[Andrea Houtsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book III in the Cape Cod Witch series brings us back together with Elsbeth Amelia Thistle, now a nine year old witch from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It is two years after The Pirate’s Treasure takes place, and Elsbeth and her cast of friends/classmates has grown and matured in the time since.

The story opens by introducing us to a ghost named Durst who is intent on protecting his home and lands from a mysterious adversary referred to as “Gorgeous”. He sends out a call on the Four Winds, a spell searching out that one special person who would come and save his lands – the youngest Thistle.

This adventure begins in earnest when Robert Hillman-Jones, Elsbeth’s antithesis and antagonist, decides he is going to take his uncle’s yacht for a sail. The girls happen upon this secret plan and wrangle their way into it. Mid-sail strange, magical things start to happen. A storm of unbelievable strength and power swoops down on the children and soon they are swept out to open sea, caught in a wind current that propels them through some storytelling and across the ocean to Scotland.

Now, one might give pause to question why nine year old children are permitted to take out a yacht that doesn’t belong to them. You might also question how any of these children even know how to sail a yacht, particularly one without a working GPS system. I briefly questioned the validity of these occurrences and thought it extremely unlikely but this is a story about magic and witches and ghosts and Old World Spirits like the Banshee so suspension of disbelief is inherent in the reading. Of course there’s always perspective: I live in the mountains so life next to the ocean is somewhat beyond my experiential

scope. It is possible these kids are taught to sail from the time they’re out of diapers. Life on the water would be as natural to them as it is for me to visit the various coal mines in my region. Most of these kids come from money, as stated in the story. I also have a child relative to the age of the kids in this story and know how devious they can be if left to their own devices and given time to plot such things. With such dualistic thoughts in my head I opted to just go with enjoying the story for what it was.

The Palmers don’t give you much time to contemplate your questions for long, however, since their plot pacing and writing always moves you swiftly forward. While on the yacht more of the children’s personalities are visited and explored. The groundwork is laid for the ensuing intrigue and adventure through the unique relationships between these children as they bond over worry, confusion and hunger.

When the children finally arrive at their destination, more magical creatures and ghosts are introduced. We meet a selkie seal, a banshee, a ghost wolf, and a variety of other non-magical creatures. We also meet two teenagers, Baird and Effie, living in a castle in the middle of the Scottish moors. Their parents have gone away on travel leaving them home with the warning not to let anyone into the castle. The teens let the children into the castle only upon seeing Elsbeth soaking wet and unconscious, having taken a swim with the selkie seal and almost drowning.

Here too I had to pause, wondering at the plausibility. However, the teens’ connection to Elsbeth finally begins to shed light on the mystery of her parents and lineage and it was easy to get swept up in the revelations. While the mystery is only partly revealed as part of the growing plot, the remaining shadows serve only to further intrigue and hope for more in the next installment.

The Call of the Castle Ghosties is an enjoyable read for children and adults alike. Written with the same reverent respect for nature and preserving it through scientific and magical means, this third installment in the series delivers an attention-riveting continuation of Elsbeth Thistle’s story. The Palmers bring the lands and ancient legends of Scotland to life, giving us a healthy dose of magic and mayhem all of which Elsbeth navigates and overcomes with maturity beyond her years. Still a leader by nature, Elsbeth learns more about herself and her abilities as a witch while looking out for the safety of her friends. Calling upon her magical gifts, friends, and by receiving otherworldly assistance, Elsbeth manages to win the day and preserve the family legacy and deliver everyone home safely, thereby closing out the third installment in the series.

Despite some moments where I was drawn out of the story by an interrupted suspension of disbelief I enjoyed this book. The inclusion of the artwork added a beautiful visual element. I look forward to the next installment!

I give Elsbeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties a full five star rating.

[Sher A. Hart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Cape Code Witch series, and I would recommend starting with the first because of the large cast. I had a hard time keeping track of them all even with the authors establishing each character and giving reminders of their distinct traits thereafter. I really liked the multi-cultural cast, but all their interaction slowed the pace at first. My interest picked up when otherworldly plans pushed them into danger – an unexpected journey. The cat scenes provided some nice comic relief, but I wished some of the friends had stayed home. They might have provided a more useful role, maybe by trying to track the voyagers and help from afar.

Once across the ocean, the castle in the highlands and its residents, living and dead, made a nice puzzle. Elsbeth knew she was there for a reason, but it wasn’t easy to determine the problem, let alone solve it. In most cases, I figured out why things happened and how events related–eventually. That’s a good thing. But I’m still not sure why Elsbeth met a selkie who played a minor role. Maybe the effects were meant to show Elsbeth’s mental powers, but they kept her from being physically present in key scenes and contributing to important discussions, some concerning the mystery problem.

Although there were some minor head-hopping and editing problems, those didn’t much affect my enjoyment. The biggest problem for me was that the characters acted older than nine. Most kids that age would have cried about being away from home overnight. Their mindsets and conversations were too mature as well. It feels like they should have aged more between books to develop the mental and physical capacity to do most of the things they did.

Otherwise, I liked the unpredictable plot. Most of all, I liked how the spirits of the past acted in the spirit of future foreshadowing. That might sound contradictory, but foreshadowing doesn’t mean you know exactly what’s going to happen or even when, just that something bad will happen. That “ah-oh” feeling makes me turn pages and stay up late to read. There’s no content inappropriate for children old enough to deal with the idea of malevolent ghosts though, and I think most will love the highland atmosphere as much as I did.

Eventually, Elsbeth realizes her purpose has to do with environmental pollution. I care about nature like the authors do, but the anti-oil drilling message might not settle well with people who don’t believe it causes pollution. I know better after scooping up black tar from our gulf coast’s formerly white sandy beaches following an oil spill. If your children want a mock-vacation with wild weather, mystery, and danger mixed in, give Elsbeth and the Call of the Castle Ghosties a try. The environmental issues would make a good family discussion afterward.

The pluses and minuses were different for kids and adults, but they balanced out to a 3 for me and probably a 4 for kids. I was provided a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Harmony Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on behalf of The Review Board

This is the third book in the Cape Cod Witch Series, and follows ElsBeth and her friends on more fun and adventures. The group of youngsters take a yacht (belonging to one of their uncles) without permission. The intended short island trip turns into a cross-channel sail in hurricane winds to the coast of Scotland. It turns out that ancestral family ghosts called Elsbeth there in order to help save the castle and lands that belong to her clan.

The character development is good, with the bantering and bickering amongst the not-quite-ten-year-olds bringing a realistic feel to the story. However, there are a lot of characters to keep track of in this book—especially as all of ElsBeth’s classmates accompany her on her journey. It may have been better to trim down the crowd a little.

The plot, on the whole, is good. However, I can’t quite believe that there wouldn’t have been much more of a fuss if a boat-load of such young children disappeared out to sea. What’s more, when they finally arrive in the remote Highlands of Scotland, it is to find two more youngsters left alone at the castle. Even with adult neighbours, I struggle to find believability in this aspect of the plot. That said, the pacing is steady, and the ending well-rounded.

There is a need for further editing and proofreading to tidy up comma use, split infinitives, introductory clauses/words left unpunctuated, delaying action, filter words, and clumsy sentence structures. At one point, one complete statement is split into two sentences, which make no sense standing alone. Further on, a sentence is written in such a way that it is non-sensical and clumsy. There are a couple of spelling errors, but otherwise this aspect of the book has been done well.

I adore the illustrations, and feel they enhance the enjoyment of the tale immensely. All kudos to the illustrator.

All in all, this is a good adventure book for ten year olds, and is age-appropriate. The authors spin an enjoyable yarn. With a further edit, I can see this story achieving a top ranking with ease. As it stands, I award 3.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to a soft 4 for rating on sites such as Goodreads and Amazon. This equates to 7 out of 10 stars, using the TRB rating scale.

[Gmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third installment of a Middle Grade series filled with magic, mystery, danger, and friendship. It takes us to the upper east coast of the USA and across the seas as we seek to protect a home never known…and a little something more. What at first appears to be merely another adventure with a varied group of kids, furry animals, and some magic thrown in for good measure…which by the way, would have certainly been good enough….turns into a cross seas adventure with a few lessons to learn , a hidden message of conservation and overall ecological responsibility. Who’d have thought, right? Yet, there it is, ready for readers young and old to capture, embrace, and take “the long look” themselves at how our actions and choices shape the world around us in a much BIGGER way.

On the story level, we’re faced with topics such as growing up, uncovering a secret family history, “enemies” we couldn’t fathom having had let alone have them currently seeking us out, challenging friendships, and forgiveness. There is a bit of a mystery to solve as well as a plethora of magical creatures to meet plus a bad guy worth serving up on a platter…with his little henchmen. Her well meaning friends provide many emotional highs and lows throughout the story. My favorite would have to be Johnny Twofeathers and our leading lady, Ms. Elsbeth Thistle, on the human side of things, both for their general character as well as their good intentions. On the side of familiars, Sylvanias wins paws down…gotta love that crazy cat!

In conclusion…a trip to the Cape well worth the travel time with a cast of characters you’ll be glad to have met. Recommended read for girls and boys alike from the Middle Grade set and forward.


**ebook for review received in exchange for my honest review....full review can be seen on my site**

[Jasmyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third story in the Coape Cod Witch series is a great continuation of the series. We take off for Scotland with ElsBeth and the group in a 'borrowed' yacht. The kids haven't changed much though and soon it's up to ElsBeth to get them out of another not so great position. The reason behind ElsBeth's strange adventure are a little hazy at first, but we just get to figure out the answer as she does.

With some new magial creatures and a group of ancient ghosts determined to protect, there are many lessons to be learned. A recurring theme through the books is ennvironmentalism, and taking care of what we now to save it for others in the future. Some of the ideas and concepts are for kids a little older than the first two books in the series. There is a nice development as you read through them.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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