Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story by: Linda Thieman

Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story

by: Linda Thieman

Paperback: 114 pages
Publisher: Pale Silver Rainplop Press (July 2, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0979439612
ISBN-13: 978-0979439612
Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.3 inches

One of the greatest and fondest memories of my childhood is the excitement of finding a perfect book and getting lost within it's pages. Such books for me were The Boxcar Children series by Gertrude Chandler and the Trixie Belden series by Julie Cambell. I cannot tell you the countless afternoons spent re-inacting The Boxcar Children books outside in our garage and yard. To me, a book that not only allows a child to become engrossed within it, but also brings stories to life so strongly that they bring a child's imagination to life, outside of the pages, is utterly priceless. I found Katie & Kimble to be such a story. Ok, so I won't be running outside (or inside, for that matter) re-inacting the story or bringing other stories to life with the characters, but I had the same wonderous feeling come over me, as I read Katie & Kimble. It truly took me back to my childhood and, for just a bit, I felt that childhood/perfect book connection once again. It was, quite frankly, a magical feeling.

Not only did I adore reading Katie & Kimble, but the several parts that I read out loud to my 6 year old daughter, thrilled her. I will be going back and rereading the entire book with her and eagerly awaiting the second in the series.

Katie is a young girl of nine, who has moved into a new house, along with her Mom, Dad, and baby brother. Little does she know that, within the house, another young girl, of ten, also lives - though she is a ghost. Kimble died many years ago, at the young age of ten, from a terrible flu outbreak. She is lonely, sad, and desperately wants to find out what happened to her Mother.

From the very first giggle that Katie hears, the girls immediately become the best of friends, forming a deep friendship that transends all boundaries (alive vs. pasted on). Katie & Kimble is a true treasure with it's sweet simplicity and richly engrossing tale. Ms. Thieman has an excellent talent for bringing her characters to life and allowing the reader to be quickly absorbed within the settings and dialog. I can easily see this series becoming a childhood favorite to last through the years! I simply cannot wait to read the next in this series: Katie & Kimble, The Magic Wish!

*overall rating 5/5

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Product Description:

Nine-year-old Katie Russell and her family LOOK like a normal family. But the Russells don't know they are living with Kimble, the ghost of a ten-year-old girl. That is, until Katie discovers Kimble and the two of them set off on a quest to find out what happened to Kimble's mother. -- Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story is a chapter book at RL3 (reading level 3), and is the first in a series. The Katie & Kimble books are funny, engaging and exciting, but are not fear-based. For ages 7-10

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Excerpt:

Katie could see the graveyard farther up. She kept on going. Twinkle ran after her.

When Katie got to the graveyard, she saw a big gate. The gate was closed.

"Do you think we can go in?" Katie said to Twinkle. Twinkle barked.

Katie got off her bike. She parked it next to the fence and hung her yellow helmet on it. Then she and Twinkle walked to the big gate. Katie looked at it. Then she tried to lift a piece of metal. The metal piece moved and the gate swung open.

Katie and Twinkle walked inside. Katie walked slowly. Twinkle walked slowly, too.

"This is a little spooky," Katie said.

Twinkle put his head to her hand.

A small road went down the middle of the cemetery. There were grave markers on each side.

"Well, let's start here. In the front," Katie said to Twinkle. "First, we'll do the left side. Then the right.

"Twinkle followed along as Katie walked from grave to grave. Katie read each marker carefully. But she did not see Kimble's name.

Katie kept moving from stone to stone. She was almost in a trance.

"Kimble," she whispered aloud. "I have to find Kimble."

Katie was so lost in her dream that she wasn't paying attention to where she was walking. Then, just as Katie was about to start another row, boom! She fell over backwards into an open grave! Katie was six feet under!

"Oh, no!" she cried. Katie was not hurt. But Katie was lying at the bottom of the grave. After a moment, she sat up. There was black dirt under her. There was also black dirt on all four sides.

"This ground is hard," Katie said loudly. "I should be hurt. Very hurt."

Then she remembered. When she fell, she heard a loud woosh sound. And it felt like she landed on a pillow. A big, soft pillow of air.

"I wonder what that was," Katie thought.

Katie stood up. She looked up. Two feet above her head, she saw Twinkle. He was looking down at her. And he was barking wildly.

"I'm okay," she shouted up to Twinkle. "But how am I going to get out of here?" she said to herself.

Just then, Twinkle's bark changed. Twinkle ran from the grave. The barking sounded far away. Then he ran back to the grave. The barking got louder again.

Katie looked up. This time, she saw two faces. Twinkle's and an old man's.

"Hey, hey, Missy," the man laughed. "How did you get down there? I'd join you, but it's not my time!" At this, the old man laughed even harder.

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About the author:

Linda Thieman (pronounced TEE-mun) writes the Katie & Kimble chapter book series (RL3) and runs the Katie & Kimble Blog (http://www.katieandkimbleblog.com). She is a former English language teacher who has created a set of reading skills worksheets and classroom materials that teachers and homeschoolers can download from the Katie & Kimble Blog free of charge. The materials correspond to the first two books in the Katie & Kimble series and are guided by the standards set for third grade reading skills in Iowa school systems.

Linda lives in Sioux City, Iowa. She hopes to publish Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door (book 3) in 2009

.You can visit Linda's website at http://www.katieandkimbleblog.com/

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WIN PRIZES!

KATIE AND KIMBLE VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR '09 will officially begin on January 1 and end on January 30. You can visit Linda's blog stops at http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in January to find out more about this talented lady!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available.