The Ghost Hunter (novel series)

Last updated
Hippo New Ed edition, 2000 The Ghost Hunter.jpg
Hippo New Ed edition, 2000

The Ghost Hunter is a general name for a series of novels by Ivan Jones about a Victorian shoe-shine boy who has become a ghost. The boy, called William Povey, is trying to escape from the evil and obsessive Ghost Hunter, Mrs Croker. Her intention is to bottle all ghosts and eventually to use their spectral energy to make herself immortal.

Contents

The Ghost Hunter series

  1. The Ghost Hunter (1998) (Scholastic)
  2. (Kindle 2012)Kindle edition : https://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ghost-Hunter-ebook/dp/B009P59FQG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350732974&sr=8-2
  3. The Ghost Hunter at Chillwood Castle (2000) (Scholastic)
  4. The Ghost Hunter's House of Horror (2001) (Scholastic)

Plot summaries

The Ghost Hunter

In the first book, William Povey, a boy ghost from Victorian times, appears in Roddy's bedroom in the dead of night and frightens the wits out of him. William explains that he is being chased by a GHOST HUNTER and he needs help. After his initial fears and shock, Roddy decides to try to help his new friend. Apart from anything else, the ghost has some exciting abilities, such as passing through walls and flying, which Roddy is also able to do, thanks to the shoe-brushes which William lends him.

William does not yet know who the Ghost Hunter is, but what he does know is that it captures ghosts like himself and shoves them into a bottle where they are trapped for all time. It becomes Roddy's and later his sister, Tessa's job to help William escape the clutches of the Ghost Hunter.

The Ghost Hunter at Chillwood Castle

In the second novel, the Ghost Hunter, reappears. She is decidedly more dangerous and plans to capture dozens of ghosts at the AGM - THE ANNUAL GHOST MEETING. This takes place at Chillwood Castle. Roddy and Tessa do all in their power to stop her.

The Ghost Hunter's House of Horror

The third book, moves the action to a more sinister level where Mrs Croker, presumed dead, returns to her old decaying house somewhere in London. She is now more powerful than ever and has created a machine called a SPECKTRIKA, which by using spectral energy from captured ghosts will free her of time itself. Her ambition is to live forever and capture all the ghosts she can. But her assistant, De-Sniff, causes an accident to happen and both he and The GHOST HUNTER are swept down a TIME PORTAL to Victorian England. There, at least for now, they are stuck. Will they ever return?

Television adaption

In 2000, 2001 and 2002, the novels were adapted into The Ghost Hunter television series, a live-action drama, for the BBC and also the children's channel CBBC. There were three separate series, each of six half-hour episodes The BBC television series was a major success, achieving the number one rating in the Radio Times poll of favourite children's programmes, coming ahead of Blue Peter , Grange Hill and a host of other programmes of the time. Viewing figures were very high.

The writers for the series were Ivan Jones, author of the books, Jim Eldridge and Roy Apps. The director was David Bell.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Turn of the Screw</i> 1898 gothic horror novella by Henry James

The Turn of the Screw is an 1898 gothic horror novella by Henry James which first appeared in serial format in Collier's Weekly from January 27 to April 16, 1898. On October 7, 1898, it was collected in The Two Magics, published by Macmillan in New York City and Heinemann in London. The novella follows a governess who, caring for two children at a remote country house, becomes convinced that they are haunted. The Turn of the Screw is considered a work of both Gothic and horror fiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roddy Doyle</span> Irish author and screenwriter

Roderick Doyle is an Irish novelist, dramatist and screenwriter. He is the author of eleven novels for adults, eight books for children, seven plays and screenplays, and dozens of short stories. Several of his books have been made into films, beginning with The Commitments in 1991. Doyle's work is set primarily in Ireland, especially working-class Dublin, and is notable for its heavy use of dialogue written in slang and Irish English dialect. Doyle was awarded the Booker Prize in 1993 for his novel Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.

William Theakston is an English former actor who appeared in the first Harry Potter film. He played the role of the Slytherin Terence Higgs, the seeker of the Slytherin Quidditch team. He attended Latymer Upper School.

<i>Where the Red Fern Grows</i> 1961 book by Wilson Rawls

Where the Red Fern Grows is a 1961 children's novel by Wilson Rawls about a boy who buys and trains two Redbone Coonhounds for hunting. It's a work of autobiographical fiction based on Rawls' childhood in the Ozarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Wood (author)</span> English novelist (1814–1887)

Ellen Price was an English novelist better known as Mrs. Henry Wood. She is best remembered for her 1861 novel East Lynne. Many of her books sold well internationally and were widely read in the United States. In her time, she surpassed Charles Dickens in fame in Australia.

<i>The Ghost and Mrs. Muir</i> 1947 film by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir is a 1947 American supernatural romantic fantasy film starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison. It was directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and is based on a 1945 novel written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R.A. Dick. In 1945, 20th Century Fox bought the film rights to the novel, published only in the United Kingdom at that time. It was shot entirely in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Louisa Molesworth</span> English writer of childrens stories

Mary Louisa Molesworth, néeStewart was an English writer of children's stories who wrote for children under the name of Mrs Molesworth. Her first novels, for adult readers, Lover and Husband (1869) to Cicely (1874), appeared under the pseudonym of Ennis Graham. Her name occasionally appears in print as M. L. S. Molesworth.

<i>Magyk</i> 2005 novel by Angie Sage

Magyk is a fantasy novel written by English author Angie Sage. It is the first book in the seven-book Septimus Heap series. The sequel, Flyte was released in March 2006, Physik in March 2007, Queste in 2008, Syren in September 2009, Darke in July 2011, and Fyre in 2013. The book cover of Magyk alludes to the diary that the ExtraOrdinary Wizard Marcia makes for her apprentice, Septimus Heap. The cover also depicts Septimus's Dragon Ring, rendered as if it were sitting atop the diary.

A ghosthunter is a person who engages in ghost hunting, the process of investigating locations that are allegedly haunted.

<i>Black Hearts in Battersea</i> 1964 novel by Joan Aiken

Black Hearts in Battersea is a children's novel by Joan Aiken first published in 1964. The second book in the Wolves Chronicles, it is loosely a sequel to her earlier Wolves of Willoughby Chase. The book is set in a slightly altered historical England—during the reign of King James III—in the early 19th century, and follows the adventures of Simon, an orphan whose plans to study painting in London are derailed by high adventure. Aiken was inspired to create an atmosphere of important events having already transpired offstage, and also included an involved "Dickensian plot" which she believed to complement the habit many children have of rereading or having a book reread to them.

The Ghost Hunter is a British children's drama series created for the BBC and based on the books The Ghost Hunter by Ivan Jones. It was first broadcast in January 2000 and the last series was first broadcast in 2002. Repeats continue to be shown on BBC and CBBC as well as in other countries. The first and second series were later reworked into two ninety-minute films.

Ivan Jones is a British writer of fiction. His work includes novels, picture books, plays, poetry anthologies, television series and many adaptations for BBC Radio. He was born in Shropshire and educated at Adams Grammar School in Newport and has a first degree from Birmingham University and a master's degree from the University of Nottingham.

<i>Darkside</i> (novel) 2007 childrens novel by Tom Becker

Darkside is a 2007 children's novel by Tom Becker, about a boy called Jonathan Starling who discovers a world hidden in London; a world run by Jack the Ripper's family. Only the worst of the worst live here, and all too quickly Jonathan gets mixed up in a world full of murders, thieves, a werewolf and a vampire. Not to mention the cunning servant Raquella, she helps Jonathan get to his dad on time. They go on the ghost train on the Dark Line on Savage Row. Jonathon promises Raquella that one day, he’ll help Raquella run away from her master, as her master is the vampire. It was Published in 2007 by Scholastic. It won the 2007 Waterstone's Children's Book Prize and was longlisted for the 2008 Manchester Book Award. Darkside also won the Calderdale Children's Book of the year Award.

<i>On the Run</i> (novel series) Childrens novel series by Gordon Korman

On the Run is a series of children's novels written by Gordon Korman. It tells a story about two children who try to clear their parents' names while they are being hunted by the authorities themselves. The series has six books in total and was published in 2005 through 2006. The series also has a sequel series entitled Kidnapped, which follows the children after this series.

<i>The Infernal Devices</i> Novel trilogy by Cassandra Clare

The Infernal Devices is a trilogy by author Cassandra Clare, centring on a race called the Shadowhunters introduced in her The Mortal Instruments series. The trilogy is a prequel series to TheMortal Instruments series. Cassandra Clare has stated that the two series are able to be read in any order, but it is best to read them in publication order.

<i>The Hunger Games</i> Young adult book series by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games are a series of young adult dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The series consists of a trilogy that follows teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, with a prequel set 64 years before the original series. The Hunger Games universe is a dystopia set in Panem, a North American country consisting of the wealthy Capitol and 13 districts in varying states of poverty. Every year, two children, one boy and one girl, from the first 12 districts are selected via lottery to participate in a compulsory televised battle royale death match called The Hunger Games. The minimum age requirement for being able to participate in The Hunger Games is 12, and the number of tickets put into the lottery increases by one every year. However, for every one ticket put into the lottery, that person would get one set of rations. Aided by nuclear weaponry, the last district instead successfully rebelled against the Capitol and moved underground following a secret peace treaty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghosts in English-speaking cultures</span>

There is widespread belief in ghosts in English-speaking cultures, where ghosts are manifestations of the spirits of the dead. The beliefs may date back to animism or ancestor worship before Christianization. The concept is a perennial theme in the literature and arts of English-speaking countries.

Kathryn Lance was an American writer in many fields of fiction and non-fiction under her own name and various pseudonyms, as well as being the ghostwriter for numerous books purportedly written by other people. She had written dozens of young adult novels in the science-fiction, mystery, and horror genres, many of them in series as by Lynn Beach. She had also written magazine articles and stories for both adults and children. Her topics included diet, sports, fitness, sexuality, and biotechnology, in both corporate publications and such national periodicals as Family Circle, Parade, Self, Town & Country, Ladies Home Journal, and Writer's Digest.

<i>Clockwork Princess</i> 2013 novel by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess is a 2013 fantasy novel written by young adult author, Cassandra Clare. It is the third and final installment of The Infernal Devices trilogy, following the first book, Clockwork Angel, and the second book, Clockwork Prince. It is written in the third person through the perspective of the main protagonist, Tessa Gray, who resides in the Shadowhunter's London Institute. This final installment follows Tessa and her friends as they face off against the series main antagonist, The Magister, who plans to completely obliterate the Shadowhunter race.

Vega Jane is a series of four young adult fantasy novels written by American author David Baldacci. It follows the adventures of a teenage girl as she uncovers secrets about the fictional village of Wormwood and faces the dangers of the 'Quag', a forest filled with beasts. The series was first published in the US in 2014 by Scholastic Press. The Finisher (novel) and The Keeper spent a collective 41 weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Middle Grade E-books with The Finisher peaking at number one, and The Keeper peaking at number three.