What's the Name of That Book??? discussion
This topic is about
The Ghost of Chicken Liver Hill
SOLVED: Children's/YA
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SOLVED. Children's book about a Ghost guy helping a kid in a 'sled' ranking. [s]
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Oops, I graduated High school in 2000, which is why I mentioned it had to be mid nineties when I read it. I moved to a new apartment for highschool, and was still in my old apartment when I read the book. I'm certain about that. so going back four years, it must have been around 95-97.Not sure if it was a 'new' book back then though.
Giving this a little bump.I'm pretty sure I probably don't have to add this part, but I do want to make clear that the ghost guy was NOT the boy's father.
Really wish I could remember more. I 'think' this book was like the 'first' in a supposed series, though if anymore were made after it, I have no idea. Could be this one was written/released and that was it.
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When does the boy realize the man is a ghost - early on or by the middle of the story?
It's your typical Goosebumps/Are you afraid of the dark kinda story.The boy knows the guy is a ghost right away. The ghost needs his help with something. (Maybe to solve the mystery of his death?) and as the story goes on he continues to decay, producing a foul smell and the like. (It was to get the boy to hurry, the ghost admits it was all a lie all along and he wasn't really decaying)
The main points of the story is him trying to do the ghost's task. (which I can't remember what it was, but I'm pretty sure it was to solve the guy's death) and for the boy to complete that sled ranking thing.
The sled thing isn't a sport or anything, more like a town right of passage to show you've become a man/adult from what I recall.
I know there were a bully or two that would make fun of our hero. I 'think' there was a girl he liked that helped him, but I might be wrong about that.
It was your typical spooky/funny children's book. Meant more to be an interesting story then to scare you.
Giving this a little bump.If only I could remember a name. I still try to google fu this from time to time with no luck.
I keep wanting to say the mother was 'Lisa' and the ghost 'Buddy' but I can't be certain.
I do remember the principal had glasses and was slightly balding I believe.
The ghost did something with coffee/coco cups near the end that got the principal and mother to smile at each other.
Adding just in case one of these small details helps in any way.
The Ghost of Chicken Liver Hill by J.R. Black?The ghost here is Buddy Parker, a Fonz-like character-sans the Fonz's sense of humor-who died 29 years ago when his car crashed into the oak tree at the bottom of Chicken Liver Hill. The hero, Toby, is a nerdy sixth grader who Buddy intimidates into helping solve the mystery surrounding his death.
I think it was part of a series, like Goosebumps or the Three investigators. Please note I know it wasn't part of either of those.
For the life of me I can't remember a single character name, but here is as much of the story as I can recall.
It's about a boy who wants to dominate this sled ranking thing the town does. You get a higher rank the farther down a hill you get. If you roll off right before it hits a tree, you get the rank Terminator. I know if you roll off right before the first hill you are known as a bit yellowed belly chicken, and I think you get a bucket of chicken bones as a 'prize'
Well this ghost of a guy shows up. I swear he was a biker. He needs the boy to help him with something. As the story goes on he begins to look more and more decayed. Saying he doesn't have much time and the boy needs to hurry.
We find out the boy's mother was this guy's girl back in high school. I think the mother is on the school board now, when as a teen she was known for being very wild.
I remember the book getting to a point where the boy has to sled down the hill in front of kids/his school and the ghost guy lays on top of him so he can't get off the sled. Not only does the boy get to the tree, but the ghost guy manages to get the sled to go sideways and squeeze PAST the three. Making the boy a legend as no other kid has ever managed to do that. (I think the tree was in an ally way. I'm not sure)
I know the boy ends up helping the ghost guy do whatever he needed done, and the ghost guy reveals he was never really decaying. It was just a front to hurry the kid along. I also remember the ghost guy setting the mother up with the principle of the school. Saying it wasn't a great pairing, but since he's dead, he can't be with her anymore.
If finally ends with the boy's friend asking about the 'guy' he was talking with. (Any other time in the story when the boy tried to show someone the ghost guy, no one else could see him.) But now his friend saw the ghost guy.
At first the main character is like: "You saw him!? You saw (whatever the ghost was called)" The friend almost laughs it off, but the ghost guy let's out one last laugh that the friend hears, letting him believe the main character about everything he had done in the story.
I really loved it when I read it, but for the life of me I can't recall the name or one single character's name. I want to say the ghost went by 'Buddy' and the mother was something like Lizzy, but I'm not sure, and it hasn't helped my search.