SOLVED. older YA novel about a kid who meets different ghosts and helps them [s]

[DFZ]

This is an older YA book, possibly from the '80's or even earlier. There's a young person who has a summer vacation or something and they encounter odd people who seem old fashioned and out of place. The young person tries to help them, and practices fighting with one young man, perhaps named Con, and I think they practice trident and net fighting. I think one of the ghosts might like candy bars too.

[Lobstergirl, au gratin]

Jazmin, are you still looking for this novel?

[Tab]

The Scorpio Ghosts and the Black Hole Gang kinda of fits. I'll toss it out there in case you were mixing up some of the details.

Here's another descrip:
Kirkus:
Ryan's family is camping out while renovating an old brick schoolhouse that is to be their new home--a boring prospect to the four children, who are less enthralled with building and gardening than Mom and Dad. Things perk up When they receive a ghostly visitation: C.C. (Cotton Candy) and her librarian aunt, recently killed in a nearby bookmobile accident. Undismayed by the apparitions, the three older kids have two goals, both met in the course of the book: keeping the ghosts a secret from their parents and little sister (why this is important is never made clear); and freeing the ghosts and their ghostly bookmobile from the local intersection so that they can range freely through space and time, thus finally giving the children freedom from the garrulous C.C.'s conversation.

[DFZ]

Still looking for this.

[bookworm]

pleasing the ghost sharon creech

[DFZ]

So far, neither suggestion is right. The book was not a funny or cute story.

The protagonist tries to help these ghosts or boys who slipped through time with serious survival issues. I recall the protagonist helping the gladiatorial fighter learn to use his net as a weapon, so he might have a chance of surviving. And there may have been a page/squire who needed help as well.

[M]

This is making me think of Joan Aiken's The Shadow Guests. The hero there encounters young men from the past when he comes to live with his cousin.

[Andria]

The Shadow Guests for the link to M's book.

[Andria]

The Shadow Guests for the link to M's book.

[DFZ]

Thanks M and Andria!

[Ann aka Iftcan]

So that's the correct book then, Jazmin?

[DFZ]

Yes, they found the correct book.