GHOST TRAIN : A Tale of the Five Cereal Boys

by Mike Duke, Greg Chapman (Illustrator), Lisa Lee Tone (Editor)

October 1967, a horrible train accident injures and kills numerous children on a bus.

Twenty years later, the son of the boy who missed the bus on that fateful day is obsessed with the urban legend of the Ghost Train which arose around the accident.

Billie Barber and his friends, the Five Cereal Boys are determined to see the Ghost Train up close and capture proof with their Polaroid camera. But some legends should be left alone, because knowing the truth carries a terrible price.

The Five Cereal Boys are going to have their bonds of loyalty tested and see just how far they’ll go to save each other from a hellish fate!

88 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2022

Reviews

[Peter Topside · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whatta great use of the characters and the late 80s. Brought me right back to my childhood, getting into all sorts of trouble. Our group of leads here were a lot of fun to witness their playful dialogue with one another. No one, in particular, stood out, but they all just had a good flow together, which was fine. The ghost train was a wonderfully inventive concept, in both its originality and scariness. And what book about a group of kids would be complete without some bullies, right? Well that was included here, too, with a very satisfying, although too brief, conclusion. This story had a decent pace, especially in the middle portion, but could have benefited from some additional development in the first and last pieces, to pull it all together. It’s brief, but more or less makes the most of out its runtime. Another good outing from Mike Duke.

[Bob McCadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story as always. This is an easy one to finish In one sitting. Great book Mike.

[Echo Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read anything Mike Duke writes. I love his imagination and his way of spinning an engaging tale. This short novella doesn't have the usual 1-2 punch in the gut like his other books but is still a great ride with Stand by Me vibes.

The five cereal boys brave the tracks to see the ghost train from a tragic accident 20 years prior. They get more than they bargained for however when the triangle shaped lights appear and the wind of the trains passing brushes through their hair .... just how far does their bond go? What are they willing to do to protect each other from the ghost train?

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a new favorite Mike Duke book! In this novella, in 1967 a terrible tragedy occurs in a small rural Virginia town when a train crashes into a school bus. Twenty years later, Billie, son of the only kid who fortuitously wasn't on the bus that fateful day, is obsessed with the local legend of the Ghost Train repeatedly appearing at the same spot. With tonight being the exact 20th anniversary of the tragedy, he and his three friends, who call themselves the Five Cereal Boys, sneak out to witness the Ghost Train for themselves. But when the train actually shows up, they soon learn it's best to leave legends alone.
Ghost Train once again featured a lot of nostalgia with the story taking place in 1987, and the kids talking about Dungeons & Dragons and all the popular cereals of the day. The story felt like it landed somewhere between Stranger Things and The Twilight Zone/Tales from the Dark Side. While I'm always happy to breeze through a short, satisfying story such as this one, I actually wouldn't have minded it being a bit longer. And I loved the shout out by Duke for Campaign Headquarters, a local gaming store from this area.

[Alix Kampen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second read by Mike Duke, a small novella about 80 pages long. Made for a quick read, which I loved. Four boys, who call themselves the five cereal boys, embark on finding out the truth of the said ghost train, and boy do they ever. All the while testing their loyalty. It was a good story, I feel more could have been written to make it beefier and longer but it was still a great read. Honestly, reading the afterword made the book that much better after learning some nearly shocking information. Literally made the book that much better. Fun, creepy and quirky. Perfect pallet cleanser.

[Terry and dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect little ghost story. The characters and their bond were so perfect. The story of the train was one that you might find in a small town or community. Clever, brave and loyal friends for the win.