The Trouble With Jacob

by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

Twelve-year-old twins Andy and Kat think they are in for a dull summer at a remote resort in western Oregon, until the ghost of a nine-year-old boy appears demanding restitution for a crime committed over 100 years before.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Eloise Jarvis McGraw was an author of children's books. She was awarded the Newbery Honor three times in three different decades, for her novels Moccasin Trail (1952), The Golden Goblet (1962), and The Moorchild (1997). A Really Weird Summer (1977) won an Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery from the Mystery Writers of America. McGraw had a very strong interest in history, and among the many books she wrote for children are Greensleeves, Pharaoh, The Seventeenth Swap, and Mara, Daughter of the Nile.

McGraw also contributed to the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum, writing with her daughter Lauren Lynn McGraw (Wagner) Merry Go Round in Oz (the last of the Oz books issued by Baum's publisher) and The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, and later writing The Rundelstone of Oz on her own. The actual writing of the books was done entirely by Eloise; Lauren made story contributions significant enough for Eloise to assign her co-authorship credit.

She lived for many years in Portland, Oregon before dying in late 2000 of "complications of cancer".

McGraw was married to William Corbin McGraw, who died in 1999. They had two children, Peter and Lauren.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Nilsson]

Quite glad he found his bed and was put to rest! It's always important to help a ghost in need.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable story by a writer who never lets you down. Eloise McGraw has written some very fine books, such as the brilliantly imagined and researched "Master Cornhill". This one is a little more of a classic children's adventure. A ghost story with a nice little twist.

Twins Andy and Kat get sent to rural Oregon for what they expect will be a dull summer, but it does not stay dull when Andy meets an enigmatic boy called Jacob, looking for his stolen bed, and unseen by his twin sister.

The description of rural Oregon is very rich, and well done. This intermingles nicely with the ghost story. The "party line" telephone was amusing, as were other descriptions of the town's inhabitants.

I felt that the division of the twins into rational Andy and believer-in-ghosts Kat was a little overdone. All the same it was nice that it was rational Andy that could see the ghost to start with, which created a nice dynamic.

I should rate this book as three stars based on my own thoughts - good but not special and unlikely to be quotable or memorable - but it has so few ratings that I shall give it four to improve its average, which would be fair for a reader in the intended age group, who should thoroughly enjoy this work.

Eloise McGraw really should be better known.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a bit of a weird story

[Melanie Boss · Rating 5 out of 5]

contemporary realistic fiction. fantastic! Two kids have an adventure in a new place.

[Amy Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and not so obvious an answer to the puzzle.