The Ghosts of Cougar Island

Liza, Bill & Jed Mysteries #6

by Peggy Parish, Deborah L. Chabrian (Illustrator)

Summer vacation is nearly over, and Liza, Bill, and Jed know it’s almost time to leave their grandparents and the exciting adventures they’ve shared on Pirate Island.

Before they head home, the trio is itching to solve the mystery of Cougar Island. But it’s private property, and according to legend, trespassers will be haunted forever by the ghosts of the Cougar family. Ghosts or no ghosts, Liza, Bill, and Jed won’t be satisfied until they’ve done some exploring.

And when they do, they make the most amazing discovery! Are those old stories true? Could the island be haunted after all?

Genres: Mystery, Childrens, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Peggy Parish was the author of the children's story series Amelia Bedelia. The series was continued, after her sudden death from an aneurysm, by her nephew Herman Parish. Peggy attended the University of South Carolina and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Herman honored Peggy's life in his book, Good Driving, Amelia Bedelia, by writing in its dedication: "For Peggy Parish, the real Amelia Bedelia."

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Lydia Therese · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Ghosts of Cougar Island by Peggy Parish is the sixth and final book in the Liza, Bill, and Jed Mystery series.

Randomly picked this up for 50 cents at a used book sale because it looked vintage-y. Apparently, this is the last book in the series. Woops. Unfortunately, this is not one of those kid's books that you can enjoy even when you're older unless you have nostalgic memories attached to it.

Everyone only ever "said" anything. No sighing, recalling, reprimanding, laughing . . . just "Said Bill" or "Bill said." It drove me crazy. All the kids ever did was go to the island, go to their grandparents, and go to the "dreaming place". They were all unlikeable. The writing was too simple for me to enjoy, with no description whatsoever.

I'm too old for this book, so maybe I'm judging it too harshly, but I had a really hard time with this. I don't with other books in this genre, like The Boxcar Children.

1.5 stars out of 5.

[Phil J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Were you expecting this?

Hopefully not!

If you are expecting another low-stakes Jed, Bill and Liza mystery, then you're in luck. The kids are really curious about a neighboring island and a series of mysterious thefts. Instead of deciphering puzzles left by a wacky relative, they follow unintentional clues and interview witnesses. The surprise ending is unrealistic, but whatever. This is the sixth book in the series, so you know what to expect.

[Lexi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up 15 years ago at a yard sale and kept moving it back in my TBR piles for many years. That being said, as I read it I put myself in the mindset of having just gotten it all those years ago. There was a reason I kept putting it on the back burner. I didn’t think the story was interesting or well written even for young kids. It was so repetitive that it was painful to get through both as an adult and, I believe, as a kid picking up a chapter book. The same things happened over and over again and it went no where until the very end, which I also thought was an underwhelming and uncomfortable conclusion to read.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this but I think that the part with the orphans would be too upsetting for my sensitive 6-year-old (for now). I'm glad she isn't that interested in this series at this point.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes reading a book written for kids is a good way to help me keep the habit of reading when I don't have a ton of mental space to focus, which is exactly what I was doing with this one. I don't recall reading this series when I was a kid but somehow we ended up with this book in our at-home library. The writing struck me as a tad repetitive and basic at first, but then I remembered what I was like as an elementary schooler and concluded it probably worked fine, and that it in fact, helped teach some lessons of resiliency. Overall not bad. I'm mildly interested in reading the first five books in the series and felt like I could almost picture what the kids' lives would be like now. These books were published in the mid-80s so the characters would be about my age today.

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

i like this book becaus

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best in the series, but enjoyable

[SmarterLilac · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recall thinking this was the Best. Book. Evar. back in 5th grade.

[Erick Petersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading it to the kids.

[john · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book for 2nd-3rd graders

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4/29/14-4/30/14

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book for young readers. The mystery was a little different, but still interesting.