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Gus the Ghost #8
Gus Goes To School
A ghost decides to go to school and learn to spell when a publisher returns his autobiography.
- GenresChildrensPicture Books
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1982
About the author
Jane Thayer
78 books15 followersJane Thayer (pen name of: Catherine Woolley) was an American writer. She is known best for the book The Puppy Who Wanted A Boy, which became the basis of a 1980s Saturday Morning cartoon series, The Puppy's Further Adventures.
Obituary from: Boston Globe, July 27, 2005
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articl...
With the 87 children's books she wrote, Catherine Woolley delighted generations of young readers around the world with stories of children, animals, a friendly ghost, and mysterious happenings.
She was so prolific that her publisher told her to use a nom de plume for some books. She chose Jane Thayer, her grandmother's name, for the many picture books she wrote.
For her older readers, she used her real name on books such as the ''Ginnie and Geneva" series about the adventures of two young girls. Many of the books were translated into foreign languages.
Ms. Woolley died Saturday in her Truro home. She was 100 and had been in failing health in recent years.
Until then, said her niece Betsy Drinkwater of Enfield, N.H., Ms. Woolley was a lover of books and a ''lifelong Democrat."
''After her 100th birthday last summer, her goal was to live long enough to vote in the 2004 election, and she did," Drinkwater said.
''She was a character," Drinkwater said. ''She never married, was very independent, and traveled all over the world. ''
A petite woman with blue eyes and curly hair, Ms. Woolley was also feisty, said a Truro neighbor, Peggy Longgood. ''She was clear in what she believed in and thought, and she would not back down on anything. She was indomitable."
Ms. Woolley continued to write into her 80s and 90s, Drinkwater said. Her last published work was 1989's ''Writing for Children," in which she advised adults how to write children's books. It wasn't easy, she warned.
Though Ms. Woolley never had children, she seemed to have a kinship with them, friends said. In her books, she often drew on her own experiences and world travels. She always urged students at the writers' workshops she taught on Cape Cod to write what they knew. In ''Writing for Children," she writes: ''There is a delight in working with words, because if you are a writer you love the magic of words and you love using words to bring children into the world you are creating."
Ms. Woolley was born in Chicago to Edward Mott and Anna Lazelle (Thayer) Woolley. She grew up in Passaic, N.J. Her father was a newspaperman in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ms. Woolley attended both Barnard College in New York and the University of California at Los Angeles, earning her bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1927.
Ms. Woolley's niece said that after college, she worked in public relations in New York and eventually moved back with her parents in Passaic in the 1930s during the Great Depression. She lived in Passaic until she was 60.
Drinkwater believes that Ms. Woolley wrote for magazines before her first book, ''I Like Trains," was published in 1944.
In the early 1960s, she moved into a house she had bought in Truro, pounding out books on an old Remington typewriter. She never used a computer.
Among her many books were ''The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy," about a dog who was looking for a master and found more than one at an orphanage, and a series about ''Gus the Ghost," a friendly apparition.
On Cape Cod, Ms. Woolley was a fixture at writing and book events. She helped start a book club, worked with the Friends of the Truro Library, taught at writing workshops, and held story hours at the library.
When the library opened its new building in 1996, it named its children's room after her.
''Catherine's writing and literary life was paramount to her," said Anne Brock of North Truro, a former library trustee.
One of Ms. Woolley's students was Yoko Kawashima Watkins of Brewster, with whom she worked for a year on a manuscript for Watkins's suc
Obituary from: Boston Globe, July 27, 2005
http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articl...
With the 87 children's books she wrote, Catherine Woolley delighted generations of young readers around the world with stories of children, animals, a friendly ghost, and mysterious happenings.
She was so prolific that her publisher told her to use a nom de plume for some books. She chose Jane Thayer, her grandmother's name, for the many picture books she wrote.
For her older readers, she used her real name on books such as the ''Ginnie and Geneva" series about the adventures of two young girls. Many of the books were translated into foreign languages.
Ms. Woolley died Saturday in her Truro home. She was 100 and had been in failing health in recent years.
Until then, said her niece Betsy Drinkwater of Enfield, N.H., Ms. Woolley was a lover of books and a ''lifelong Democrat."
''After her 100th birthday last summer, her goal was to live long enough to vote in the 2004 election, and she did," Drinkwater said.
''She was a character," Drinkwater said. ''She never married, was very independent, and traveled all over the world. ''
A petite woman with blue eyes and curly hair, Ms. Woolley was also feisty, said a Truro neighbor, Peggy Longgood. ''She was clear in what she believed in and thought, and she would not back down on anything. She was indomitable."
Ms. Woolley continued to write into her 80s and 90s, Drinkwater said. Her last published work was 1989's ''Writing for Children," in which she advised adults how to write children's books. It wasn't easy, she warned.
Though Ms. Woolley never had children, she seemed to have a kinship with them, friends said. In her books, she often drew on her own experiences and world travels. She always urged students at the writers' workshops she taught on Cape Cod to write what they knew. In ''Writing for Children," she writes: ''There is a delight in working with words, because if you are a writer you love the magic of words and you love using words to bring children into the world you are creating."
Ms. Woolley was born in Chicago to Edward Mott and Anna Lazelle (Thayer) Woolley. She grew up in Passaic, N.J. Her father was a newspaperman in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ms. Woolley attended both Barnard College in New York and the University of California at Los Angeles, earning her bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1927.
Ms. Woolley's niece said that after college, she worked in public relations in New York and eventually moved back with her parents in Passaic in the 1930s during the Great Depression. She lived in Passaic until she was 60.
Drinkwater believes that Ms. Woolley wrote for magazines before her first book, ''I Like Trains," was published in 1944.
In the early 1960s, she moved into a house she had bought in Truro, pounding out books on an old Remington typewriter. She never used a computer.
Among her many books were ''The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy," about a dog who was looking for a master and found more than one at an orphanage, and a series about ''Gus the Ghost," a friendly apparition.
On Cape Cod, Ms. Woolley was a fixture at writing and book events. She helped start a book club, worked with the Friends of the Truro Library, taught at writing workshops, and held story hours at the library.
When the library opened its new building in 1996, it named its children's room after her.
''Catherine's writing and literary life was paramount to her," said Anne Brock of North Truro, a former library trustee.
One of Ms. Woolley's students was Yoko Kawashima Watkins of Brewster, with whom she worked for a year on a manuscript for Watkins's suc
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 24, 2018
Gus the Ghost is the main character in a series of 8 children's books written from 1967-1989. Gus Was a Real Dumb Ghost is the 7th book in the series. I have to admit it is my least favorite. The story is cute and I did enjoy it. But.....this book has a different illustrator than the prior six books. And I don't like the artwork. Nope.....it's just not Gus. I don't like the art at all.
The basics: Gus wants to write his memoirs. He types up his story and sends it to a publisher, who promptly sends it back with a note saying he can't spell. Gus decides to go to school so he can learn to spell (especially the word ghost because that's what he is!). He has a bit of a hard time until he learns the ropes and starts doing his homework. Cute story! (But why the horrible art work? Grumble, grumble)
I think that if the art was going to change that drastically instead of making this another Gus book, they should have made it about another ghost. Then the change in appearance wouldn't be a big deal. But in a Gus book, Gus needs to look like Gus! I did find another edition of this book where the cover art looks more like the original books...and the title is changed to Gus Goes to School (which is a lot better than Gus Was a Real Dumb Ghost). This edition just fell flat for me.....
The basics: Gus wants to write his memoirs. He types up his story and sends it to a publisher, who promptly sends it back with a note saying he can't spell. Gus decides to go to school so he can learn to spell (especially the word ghost because that's what he is!). He has a bit of a hard time until he learns the ropes and starts doing his homework. Cute story! (But why the horrible art work? Grumble, grumble)
I think that if the art was going to change that drastically instead of making this another Gus book, they should have made it about another ghost. Then the change in appearance wouldn't be a big deal. But in a Gus book, Gus needs to look like Gus! I did find another edition of this book where the cover art looks more like the original books...and the title is changed to Gus Goes to School (which is a lot better than Gus Was a Real Dumb Ghost). This edition just fell flat for me.....
July 21, 2024
My mom has a copy with the original title Gus Was a Real Dumb Ghost, and when I saw that title, I had to read it to my niece. I can see why they changed the title (he wasn't dumb, just uneducated, which he remedied), but the new one lacks the pizazz of the original. My favorite part may be how the live people just accept that there's a ghost and no one gets all skeptical scientist on their a55es. And apparently, I am tired enough that this is the best review you're going to get from me right now. I might care if I weren't too busy yawning. Again.
August 19, 2022
This is certainly a downgrade from the previous books. The art, while fine, is not quite the same, and, moreover, Gus himself has been turned into something far scarier (look at those dark eyes) than he has ever been before.
The story itself is cute and has a good moral. Gus must learn to read and write, he initially doesn't see the need to write anything other than ghost (even though he wants to write an autobiography), and eventually learns the pleasure of writing and reading and school.
The story itself is cute and has a good moral. Gus must learn to read and write, he initially doesn't see the need to write anything other than ghost (even though he wants to write an autobiography), and eventually learns the pleasure of writing and reading and school.
December 2, 2018
An interesting and fun book featuring Gus the Ghost to explain the importance of going to school, trying your hardest and not being afraid to ask questions.
September 12, 2021
Did not like the new art style.
September 19, 2011
Gus the ghost decides that he wants to go to school, but is this a good decision? Gus will soon find out.
Cute book and a good read to show kids it's okay to be different. Also a good read for Halloween time.
Cute book and a good read to show kids it's okay to be different. Also a good read for Halloween time.
July 25, 2012
This book is not so bad on its own merits, but it pales in comparison to the excellence of the original Gus books. This Gus is kind of a ghost of his charming former self.
August 1, 2013
Another book for read-aloud. I'm not liking this one as much as the other Gus books. The illustrator seems different, and I just don't enjoy it as much.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews